January 16 Observations

From email: "We skied a 25 degree west slope today on Woody Ridge.  No sign of instability.  No wumphing or cracking.  We all recognized the poor snow structure we were on and we pulled skins when the slope angle approached 30 deg. 5 degrees, at 100pm, light breeze.

HS 110-115 cm

new snow 30 cm. fairly cohesive but not bonded to old-variable

Layer of facets below new snow and above hard layer 60cm deep

Hard layer 10-15cm thick

facets below hard layer

The snowpack depth was variable.  New snow not well bonded to old snow in places we climbed to 9550 and stopped as terrain got steeper"