Great snow, awful roads

Surprisingly calm with steady snowfall and decreasing temps through the day, though it never got frigid.

• 3-7 inches of cohesionless new snow - graupel (image), a few inches of very low density fluff, more graupel and rimed grains on top (image). 
• This snow sluffed easily on very steep northerly slopes. While the sluffs only involved the new snow, the largest packed enough force to be trouble (avalanche tab). 
• Above about 4500 feet, the new snow sits on an inch or so of small, faceted grains that are in turn sitting on a supportable crust. The exception is on true north slopes, where it fell on old, slightly faceted snow. Occasional clean shears in hand pits on this faceted layer, or similar facets below the crust. No cracking or other signs of instability. 
• No sign of fresh wind slabs in this sheltered basin. The new snow did not seem to be camoflaging old hard slabs. 
• We did not travel or ride southerly slopes. The snow on that side of the ridge felt denser and more wind affected. 
• Below 4500 feet, a few inches of new snow sits on refreezing melt freeze grains. Sometimes grabby when riding. 

Much more new snow and blowing snow between West Glacier and Coram, with remarkably poor visibility. Gotta love rumble strips.