Observations from Scout Peak

Found wet snow in sunny areas and in the shaded trees with delightful breakable crust in shaded clearings on Echo Summit. I dug a pit in an open NE clearing at 7500 feet. Basic snowpack structure was similar to elsewhere in the region, with the Jan 4th crust/facet layer being easy to spot about a foot below the surface. Test results were mixed. A compression test showed Sudden Planar fracture character and an Extended Column Test showed Propagation, but other ECTs did not show propagation and a Propagation Saw Test did not indicate propagation was likely. The near surface facets below thee 1/4 crust continue to be loose and sugary, but perhaps less than they used to be. 

1. Wet conditions in the shaded trees on Echo Summit (these drops were liquid, not frozen).

2. Hand hardness on pit wall. 170 cm total snow height. 

3. 2cm rain crust on surface that was frozen in open areas, but still wet in the trees. Cutting this with a saw without breaking it was a little challenging.