General Observations

2/28- Tiekel Trees up to 2900’/overcast/calm/light snow

Shooting Cracks: No

Collapsing: No

Avalanches: No

Found an inch of new snow atop a  breakable melt freeze crust with moist snow 1 foot below crust.  Melt freeze crust existed up to 2200’ with dry snow higher up.  

At 2800’ north aspect found the 1/24 crust to be buried just over 3 feet deep with facets above the crust to be showing signs of sintering (strengthening).  Overall snowpack structure showed good strength in the mid and upper portion and very poor structure in the lower snowpack.  The November facets were found 5 feet deep and were reactive.   Pit results produced propagation at the ground in both an adapted ECT and PST’s.  A traditional extended column test produced ECTX (no result).  Although when snow was removed, so that the November facets  was only 100 cms deep (~3 feet) ECT produced propagation ECTP23 down 150 cms.  This is not a standard test, but does give valuable information.  These results imply that deep hard slab avalanches may be stubborn to triggers in area where deep snowpacks are in place, but trigger points likely exist that the weight of a person or snowmachine may be able to affect in areas where thinner snowpacks exist.  Propagation saw tests produced PST 35/150(END) down 150.