One last look at the snow pack on Cardiac Ridge was in order before a series of storms arrive next week. Same story different day, mostly faceted snow pack, with a added fragile crust under the light density surface snow, and the new snow on the surface has already faceted and become loose and non cohesive. The thin crust is some what troublesome and wide spread on N NE and E up to at least 10,500ft. Not sure if it was moisture in the clouds on Wednesday that caused it or if it’s a heat crust but it doesn’t matter at this point, but it might be a factor in making avalanches larger and more connected once a load is placed on top.

photo: delicate crust with facet chains forming underneath, video, snow pit at 10,200 ft NE facing