Faceting crusts in Upper Cold Stream.

Departing Cabin Creek Rd. just below 6,300' our sleds ran hot as the 12/24 rain crust kept the sleds from digging into the snow and made engine and track cooling difficult. Once we climbed above 7,200', increasing depths of recent storm snow allowed the sleds to dig in and cool themselves. At our high point of travel just above 8,200', there was 6 inches of settled, but still unconsolidated storm snow on both flat terrain and northerly aspects. Along the treed ridgetop of Upper Cold Steam, we found no wind slabs. Looking over at the Sierra Crest we could see scoured slopes and ice crusts glaring in the morning sun. We decided to drop off the ridge into below treeline avalanche terrain where the snow remained soft. Snowcover above the 12/24 rain crust thinned to around an inch at 7,000'. Snowpit data collected in open below treeline N aspect terrain at 7,920' revealed some minor faceting in the upper snowpack near and between rain crusts. While these upper snowpack layers continue to weaken, formal snowpit tests gave no indication of current instability.

Photo 1: Looking to the west at NE-E aspect near and above treeline terrain along the Sierra Crest, wind scoured snow surfaces and icy crusts were obvious.