Better

Day off trip into the Swan Range in search of better skiing. 

• 3 to 6 inches of recent snow sitting on a slick rain crust above roughly 5500'. Only a dusting below that elevation. 
• Isolated slabs of drifted snow above roughly 6500'. Wind slabs are small (D1) and mostly unreactive. 
• Observed one very large slab avalanche on the west face of Great Northern. Size and timing are difficult to assess since it was observed from 13 miles away. Crown could be 2 to 3 feet, or could be 10 to 15 feet thick. Uncertain if it was recent, or last week during the Atmospheric River.