Ho-hum Loose Wet in Rescue Creek

I stretched my legs in the drainage where C.B. Penrose, a nationally known anesthetic surgeon and friend of Teddy Roosevelt, was severely mauled by a grizzly in 1907.

• The brief period of high pressure has come and gone leaving behind only a handful of small D1 - 1.5 loose slides in this basin. Today, avalanche activity was inhibited by breezy conditions that cooled the snow surface and formed a thin wind crust/slab. The lack of snow/rime on trees and rock outcroppings minimized these as potential triggers.
• Just two small loose slides were observed since my visit Wednesday.
• Moderate wind transport at upper elevation ridgelines with light wind transport at low and middle elevations. 
• Previous and current winds had made it to the valley floor forming wind crust/slab in exposed locations. Fresh slabs were up to 3" thick and Pencil hard between 4200' and my high point of 5300'.
• Faceted surface snow survived the winds and sun in many locations along my route.