Snowpack observations: W of Lake Mary

Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol. Training/amateur observation. Dug two pits for Extended column testing for training and observation. Pits were >200cm deep. Snow was consitency of soggy mashed potatoes throughout. Good for snowball fights. ECT was ECTN on both tests. 32 degree west facing slope. Two layers observed: one at about 160cm the other at about 200. After ECTN shovel pulled extended column down. It took a pretty significant effort to pull the extended column to failure using shovels as a pry tool. Finally the average break was at about 120 cm down. 

It was a foggy windy day. the upper ~1.5 meters of snow had fallen in the storms the last five days or so. The forecast had been for moderate avalanche conditions with wind slab, deep slap, and loose wet as the problems listed in that order on NW to E & SE aspects.