Large Cornices, Supportable Snow, and Unstable Tests on Judah

Starting up from Donner Pass, we found supportable new snow on top of more dense snow. At the base of the storm snow a refreezing rain crust existed. We ski cut several test slopes in sheltered terrain and we dug a few test pits in these areas. Our ski cuts, snowpit tests, and other general observations did not find signs of lingering storm slab instabilities. We did notice settlement cracks starting to form around some of the trees in sheltered areas. We also saw some very deep tree wells.

Once we got into more exposed near and above treeline terrain, all of the wind-loaded slopes had very large cornices above them and good test slopes became difficult to find. They have either filled in or they have grown too big to be considered test slopes. On the few wind-loaded test slopes we did find, ski kicks would cause the cornices above them to fail but we did not produce shooting cracks or wind slab failures. Snowpit tests on open slopes where wind drifted snow accumulates still yielded consistent unstable results (ECTP's in several locations). Some open slopes in the near treeline terrain without much evidence of wind effects also produced unstable test results. 

We chose to avoid steeper wind-affected slopes and found consistent soft snow on lower angle sheltered slopes. In more wind exposed areas the snow surface was variable and more uneven.