General Observations

Chilkat Pass Zone: Hard wind slab above treeline with high spatial variability and a deep persistent weak layers below treeline. Went on a pit digging mission and targeted three different locations 1) Three Guardsmen Wx station 3100' N-aspect 2) Canadian Hill 3100' E-aspect and 3) 3-mile 1700' SW-aspect. 

1) Notable advanced 2-3mm depth hoar 50-60cm down. The cold temperature regime during early January likely produced these large-grains. This is a persistent weak layer (PWL) a leading cause for large destructive avalanches. We stayed very clear of any run-out zones, steep exposed terrain, or terrain traps. 

2) Active loading soft and hard wind slab. Lookout for pockets of 25 degree slopes or more. Don't be fooled by traveling on exposed hard slab, it may be possible to trigger a slide from thinner areas that could propagate into deeper areas. A weak faceted layer existed 70cm down, a lot of spatial variability. 

3) At first glance, a meter plus of powder from the road hides the deep ugly truth. A crust/facet combo 105 cm down produced result PST 40/120 End. This layer of facets sits at the bottom of the new snow, near the tops of the buried alders. The weak layer is low probability, high consequence.

After several days of road closure, drifted snow and heavy snowfall, there is a great deal of uncertainty at the Chilkat pass. Observations from the area have been sparse. Take caution as always, use careful assessment and avoid terrain that could be hazardous.