Ophir Peak Observations

We toured Ophir Peak today to look at existing snow surface conditions before a series of storms bring new snow to our area.  Soft unconsolidated snow exists on northerly aspects in below and near treeline areas providing good travel conditions.  Minor near surface faceting was observed in these areas, but the weakness was very limited.    The recent moderate to strong SW winds have scoured many aspects in near and above treeline areas.  Once off of northerly aspects, the snow surface turns to a mix of variable and crust type conditions.  SW winds increased during the day, but with limited snow available for transport, minimal blowing snow was observed.  The snowpack is in good condition to handle additional loading of new snow.