Weak snow in Rescue Creek

Enjoyed a short day off tour into Rescue Creek. Main objectives were to assess mid-elevation weak layers, snow coverage in a notoriously brushy valley, and signs of recent avalanche activity.

• Between 4000' and 5600,' there is a 5" upside down soft slab capping a rain crust with cracking in the facets below the crust on nearly every step.    
• A snowpit at 4400' had propagation with easy force (ECTP 9) in a layer of facets above a rain crust buried 16" below the surface.
• A snowpit at 5200'  had propagation with moderate force (ECTP 13) in a layer of small surface hoar above a rain crust buried 16" below the surface.  
• There is still a substantial amount of brush at low and mid-elevations. This "vegetative roughness" has an adverse effect on the amount of avalanche debris that can reach the valley floor.
• Several surprisingly small debris piles were the extent of recent avalanche activity.