Manky and mushy

We traveled to the west edge of Glacier Park to assess the snow surface following an overnight temperature inversion. Today was our first visit to the Apgar Range since the Camas Road closed on December 31. 

• Cool overnight valley floor temperatures resulted in a surface crust supportable to feet and skis. This crust softened, thinned, and eventually disappeared around 5000 feet.
• We found 4 - 18 inches of wet surface snow at 6000 feet, with the higher amounts in wind-loaded terrain. This snow rests on a 12-14 inch thick crust formed from the late-March heatwave.
• The snow surface was manky, and it was easy to initiate rollerballs which gained mass quickly. We avoided steep, open terrain to minimize triggering wet loose slides and limit our exposure to potential knee injuries.
• Water was dripping off the edge of the cornices we traveled past.
• We noted one soft slab avalanche beneath a ridge. This slide may have been triggered by a cornice fall onto a wind-loaded slope. 
• There were small cornice failures in a half-dozen locations.