There is a lot of spatial variation in deeper slab continuity. The storm snow from 11/25 was preserved and the new snow falling was more cohesive. It seems like we will see more of a storm slab issue that may gouge deeper in areas that do not have a slab and may step down on the features that do have a continuous slab.

We mostly observed near and above treeline in wide open bowl features all the way to ridgeline.

From Zimmerman Lake Trailhead we ascended to Montgomery Bowl before heading further north along the ridge.

Below treeline there was about 40 to 50cm of snow that was mostly fist hard and unconsolidated with the top 10-15cm being new storm snow. There was a crust at the ground. The snow from 11/25 was preserved and the new snow was more cohesive, although both were fist hard. On shovel tilt and hand shear tests the snow was failing as a very soft slab at this interface. Higher up near treeline the snow depth was around 60 to 70cm. There was localized cracking in the storm snow around skis and it you stepped above the skin track you were able to get cracks to break between the tracks but never more than a couple of feet. In some areas there was a pencil hard wind-packed crust down about 15 to 20cm. This slab was very variably distributed across the terrain and was present on northeast and east aspects in some locations. In a snow profile on an east aspect we were able to get a moderate propagating result on this layer but in another area the slab was not firm enough for a fracture. On the ridgeline we were able to pop some cornices but they never triggered anything more than a small Loose Dry. Westerly facing slope above treeline held very little snow.

It was blowing S-2 all day. Wind seemed to be coming from the east but this was just a factor of the terrain, when we got to ridgeline it was westerly.