Observation: Turnagain

Route:
Johnson Pass trailhead into Lynx Creek drainage and traveled up to 4400’.

Weather:
Bright sunny skies and calm winds
Temps in the mid-30’s F

No obvious signs of instability.

Surface Conditions:
North-facing terrain is harboring soft snow in the form of recycled powder above treeline.
West and east aspects are quite variable with anything from wind scoured, soft snow or a supportable
crust.
South facing slopes continue to go through a diurnal pattern which includes a hard freeze at night then
softening up by mid-afternoon for soft ‘spring-like’ conditions.

Snowpack Observations:
Dug one pit on a north-facing slope at 4,000’.
HS= 235cm
March storm has settled out to an 80cm right-side-up slab (1F- over 4F over F). The slab is showing
exceptional bonding to underlying melt-freeze crust. ECTX. We were eventually able to get the slab to
fail and propagate with considerable force applied to the back of the column.

It seems a sizable direct hit from a falling cornice may be about the only thing to affect this particular
layer.