Loose Dry Slides in Rescue

We traveled to the Flathead Range to assess the snow surface before the Arctic intrusion.

• Overnight snow totals decreased substantially east of West Glacier.
• 8-12" of recent snow rests on the 2/2/19 crust between 4500' and 6500'. Weak faceted snow was found above and below this crust. Cracking in the top 6" from the weight of my skis was common.
• In areas where the recent snow had slab characteristics, hand tests revealed easy shears below the crust. In areas with incohesive snow, this snow was not bonding well to the top of the crust.
• 4 natural loose dry slides D1.5-2 were observed on southerly aspects. All had run more than 500' vertical feet with one debris pile 175' in width.
• Sluffing in the recent snow was common on steep slopes during my descent.