Wind transport and rounding SH on Jakes Peak.

Three snowpits were dug today looking for buried surface hoar/deep persistent slab instability on Jakes Peak. The lower two pits dug on NE aspects at 7,240' and at 7,780' in open areas below treeline (38.974552, -120.106401 and 38.972912, -120.108937) revealed buried surface hoar that was no longer reactive in snowpit tests. The pit at 7,240' revealed two layers of 3 to 5 mm SH buried 60 to 90 cm below the snow surface. The pit at 7,780' pit revealed one layer of 7 mm buried SH located 70 cm below the snow surface that was in a rounding state. The third pit dug in open near treeline terrain on a NE aspect at 8,840' (38.968999, -120.118495) revealed no evidence of buried surface hoar within the top 120 cm of the 295 cm deep snowpack at that location. In all three snowpits, tests gave no indications of problematic weak layers. The two pits below 8,000' held numerous rain crusts with no signs of problematic near crust facet formation at the day/time of observation.

Significant wind transport was occurring below treeline (photos). Skin track refill with up to 10 cm of drifted snow was occurring, with the next uphill party approximately 15 to 20 min ahead. Near and on the summit, kicking and ski cutting a few of the smaller wind features that would not endanger others below yielded little to no cracking. Problematic wind slabs were not observed, but the larger more efficiently wind loaded test slopes were left alone due to the presence of other parties below.