Run, Rabbit, Run

Toured up and down the western slopes of Running Rabbit Mountain (Goat Lick/ Hanging Tree/ I Beam area) looking for wind slabs and checking on the 2/2 crust at various elevations.

• Found dense, sometimes hard wind slabs on the south side of the ridge above about 7000 feet. Not reactive,  did not extend more than about 75 vertical feet below the ridge where we could check. 2-8" thick. Sastrugi and wind etching near summit. 
• Experienced no shooting cracks or collapses, despite walking along convexities near the tops of start zones at a wide range of aspects. 
• The 2/2 crust was visible in snowpits at 5100 feet (west) and 7300 feet (southwest). It was buried 22 to 26" below the surface. However, we found no distinct weak layers adjacent to it. Some faceting in snow below it, but no abrupt hardness difference - maybe half step. Slab above is softer.
• A suncrust formed on open, southerly slopes below about 5200 feet. The snow on slopes above that elevation and that was getting direct sun felt dry-moist or moist, depending on location. Very few rollerballs; no sluffs; snow still in trees above ~ 5500 feet.
• Large natural avalanches had deposited debris down to about 5400 feet; the debris is covered with more recent snow and we could not spot any crowns. 

With no propagation in snowpit tests and no signs of instability, we skied and crossed slopes over 35 degrees.