Great to be back

We traveled to the Aeneas Ridge weather station to troubleshoot a problem with a temperature and relative humidity sensor. Visiting this area gave us a general sense of the snowpack distribution and structure in a location favored by this season's early-season snowfall.

• Below 5000 feet, there are 4 - 8 inches of snow on the ground. Above 6000 feet, 30 - 40 inches in areas sheltered from the wind. 
• Evidence of last week's westerly and recent northeasterly winds is visible in most aspects above 6000 feet. All varieties of wind-affected snow were enjoyed, including sastrugi, hard slab, soft slab, windboard, and cornice formation. 
• Recent atypical northeasterly winds formed reactive 2 - 4 inch slabs on westerly aspects. Westerly winds from last week left stubborn slabs on the north and east aspects. 
• Our snowpit on a northwest aspect at 6700 feet confirmed the pack is currently right side up, i.e., the snowpack near the ground is stronger than the snow closer to the surface. Please see the Snowpack tab for more details.
• Variable snow conditions and plenty of surface obstacles such as brush, rocks, and down trees kept us on our toes.