First trip up high since the December 2 thaw and heavy rain. Lots of abrupt vertical-walled arroyos below 650m where the rain washed the snow away along drainages; crust there freezing so hard a ski pole tip hardly penetrates.

But smooth and fast, with a very slippery but somewhat softer crust at higher elevations. Ten centimeters of fresh light snow (top layer 30 kg/m3!) make for nice fast GS turns, but it's tough to get an edge in, especially climbing up with skins.

All test slopes over 35-40° produced fast dry sluffs when ridden. Sevens (no fracture) and thaw layers gaining strength as they freeze mean a strong snowpack now, but these layers are a setup for an avalanche cycle with the next load. The bond between the icy crust and the light new snow is weak now, and will become weaker as cool weather turns the new snow to sugary faceted grains. Watch the next windloading or new snow.