Snowpit on Chickadee Ridge

We toured up Chickadee Ridge. We found no signs of instability on the way up and found it difficult to probe for the Dec 11 persistent weak layer with our poles. We dug a snow pit on a N aspect of the ridge and found no signs of instability, though we were able to find the weak layer at the bottom of the snow pack. A layer at the 80 cm depth had a CT25 Q3 result. I was able to pick up the whole column from 80 cm to 25 cm without it breaking after using a shovel to pry it off the bottom layer.

On the ridge, we saw light amounts of blowing snow and minor cracking under skis when off the skin track. 

The N aspects had wind boarded snow on top but quickly transitioned to soft snow for the duration of the slow. Ski penetration on the way down was less then 10 cm. It seemed like the surface layer was beginning to facet. The S aspects had clear melt-freeze crusts from earlier in the week but had not softened today.