Weak Snowpack, Strong Boosh

We went to the northern Whitefish Range to see how the early season snowpack is shaping up.

• We found a thin, weak snowpack at middle elevations on all aspects. Snow depth ranged from 8 inches at 5,000' to 34 inches at 6,600'.
• There are 6 to 8 inches of newer snow on top of the crust that was buried on 11/19. The crust is thicker and harder at lower elevations, and thins to about 1.5 inches thick as you start to get above 6,500'. Below the 11/19 crust the snowpack is like a wafer cookie - a stack of weak, faceted layers separated by 3 other crusts.
• We triggered small sluffs in the newer snow that slid on the 11/19 crust on very steep test slopes. These sluffs did not pick up much momentum or run very far, but that could have been because of all the brush achoring the surrounding snow.
• With brief views of the higher peaks we looked for evidence of previous persistent slab avalanches on north and east facing alpine slopes, but we didn't see any.
• Bushwhacking skills were a must today and made for slow going both up and down. We had to negotiate very carefully on our descent and I was glad I had my rock skis.