We bailed on fieldwork in yesterday's big storm, preferring to check the results today. There was no avalanche cycle from all the rain and wind. This is no surprise, snowpacks that have already been subjected to a major thaw do not usually react to more of the same.

The snowpack at higher elevations remains dry below the top 50 cm, and some faceted melt freeze persists at depth where it may function as a weak layer later in the season. The weakness showing up in today's shear test was between some still-dry rounded grains and the overlying wet melt freeze snow. But the wet slab was not sensitive, so the next avalanche cycle is more likely to involve the bond between the wet surface layer and whatever comes next than it is to involve deeper layers.

Surface conditions were deep slushy spring snow. There was surprisingly little snow loss from this most recent thaw. We were able to ski with care to the flats below Logjam before the snowy spots no longer connected, and most of the stream crossings above the snowline were still bridged. The muddy places below the snowline are still mostly frozen, making for much better walking than we expected.