General Observations

Moonlight Basin -6C, light north wind shifted to southeast, then north again about 2pm, flat light, increasing cloud thickness

At 2300 feet on south facing aspect we observed a D1 wind slab that probably released naturally within the last 48 hours on a steep convexity. (see photo)

Flurries began about 1 PM, but only accumulated a trace before we left at 345pm.

Snow surface conditions ranged from placed of recycled powder to Chugach cement with pockets of soft to hard wind slab. Snowpack depth varied due to recent wind events, from bare rock to 240cm in windloaded hollows.
Test Results:
With ski and boot penetration the pencil+ to knife hard windslab, 5-20cm thick, cracked locally, but didn’t seem to want to propagate. ECTX at 3300 feet, but after 30 taps a shovel shear popped a 30x50x10 cm windslab on small facets below. (See photo)
Our objectives today were:
Work on terrain management
Snow Observation/slab and weak layer identification
Group Decision making/ AIARE Ride Safely routine