Regular Tuesday fieldwork, checking status of weak facet, surface hoar, and faceted melt freeze layers from the Dec 11 - 12 avalanche cycle, particularly of interest due to skier-triggered slab in East Bowl Chutes Dec 12 (see advisory for that date).

Found numerous slabs from the Dec 11 - 12 cycle in the big North Bowl of Mt Stewart, Did a fracture line profile of a small accessible one low in the upper bowl, just above Bunny Tow Pass. No slab releases were observed in the lower bowl, below 800 m. The snow line in the recent thaws was about 700 m, snow below that elevation may have wetted out slowly and been less reactive than the dry snow above, which was rapidly loaded during the storm by SE winds and heavy new snowfall late on the 11th and through the night.

Tap compression tests on the crown suggested high spatial variability, ranging from no fracture on the bed surface at all to a CT5 Q1 on 40°, an easy shear with high energy. The weak layer was observed to have blown off some areas and remained in others on these higher slopes when it was on the surface, so this variability is not surprising. The faceted grains are rounding, the 1-2mm surface hoar layer was not detectable, and the faceted melt freeze layer found just below this site was only a thin rime crust here, above the rain line. Some unreleased areas are obviously still weak though, not wetted out or settled by thaws, and may react to new loading or human triggers.

The day was gorgeous but the snow quality was about as manky as it gets. Below the rain line, it was deep and rotten, denser on top and beginning to crust. The best turns were carefully-cranked telemarks in the deeper and less crusty spots. Above the rain line, a few centimeters of dry new snow was topped by a 1 cm thick breakable rime crust that snagged ski edges very efficiently.

The good news is that Eaglecrest had a net gain of snow, even at the base, and the wind helped smooth and fill in the stream canyons from the last major thaw. From mid elevations on up, the snowcover is filling in and looking like winter. And as the slush freezes tonight it will make a good, melt-resistant base layer to bring the ski area closer to opening.