dust and crust

Today we went up into the Flathead Range to verify low danger and reap the rewards of a stable snowpack.

• A breakable crust extends up to roughly 4500 feet. 
• Observed 4 large avalanches that likely failed around the 12 of January. These failed on a variety of aspects at mid and upper elevations.
• We observed no cracking or shooting cracks while stomping in wind drifted snow. 
• At mid-elevations, there is 6 to 8 inches of snow that is faceted and sitting on top of a supportable rain crust.
• Instability tests on weak layers buried near the ground gave us stable results. Go to the snowpack tab for more information about the results and the tests we performed. 

All signs agreed with the forecast, so we felt very comfortable skiing terrain steeper than 35 degrees.

pictures coming tomorrow morning.