Car thermometer read 18 when we left car, seemed to get colder throughout afternoon. Steady but light winds from West with light snow and good visibility and little to no snow transport.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Pete's South
Pete’s South shoulder from Johnson Pass parking lot to approx 2250ft
Weather
Snow surface
Powder. At lower elevations, several inches of powder on crust.
Snowpack
ECTN 13, Q2, 65 cm down on buried surface hoar. CT failed on ground facets during the back cut. Snow depth 1.5 meters. Given depth of pit, I suspect the back cut on the ECT may have been insufficient and that if it had been ECT could have failed at ground as well. 2 group members dug pits near each other and the other pit had similar results. Pit estimates at 2,250 feet, hundred vertical feet or so above the last little patch of spruces, before the ridge narrows up.