Powder House Proper

We started our tour at 7700' around 0930, the sun was out but skies had some cloud cover (BKN), wind was calm with no visible transporting snow in sight. On our approach through below tree line the snow surface had some small surface hoar .5-1mm, snow was dry, loose sugary snow throughout our ascent. Around 9000' we started to encounter some wind effected snow that eventually turned to pockets of wind slabs. These slabs were in various thicknesses, at times breakable to fully supportable along the ridgeline. No visible signs of avalanches were present in view from the summit. The descent consisted of good snow quality but rocks and logs are still abundant and snowpack is generally thin within this area.

Pit compression tests showed no results on the DEC.11th PWL. scoring ECTX. After completion of test the isolated column stayed intact when prying with shovel from behind column falling as one piece to the ground.