Too soon. That was the theme for the day, especially given that we went out hoping for corn on the solar aspects on the west side of the Flathead Range.
We were there early, and there are a variety of glazed surfaces across solar aspects of the ridge we traveled up. A pit on a west aspect at 7200ft showed a buried crust 15cm down with increasing stiffness lower in the pack; three meters total snow depth. Pit tests were unremarkable.
After ascending part of the face, we bailed owing to uncertainy about buried wind affect and the numerous thin trigger spots we'd be passing on the upper face.
Sunny skies, only a whisper of wind, and no precip. Temps were above freezing for much of the day.
