Observations from Echo Bowl

We went to Echo Bowl today to look at near surface facets in a new location, and found them on shaded and partly shaded slopes. On low angle terrain, facets were moist near the surface and dry below the surface. On steeper terrain the surface layer had a very thin crust that remained dry today. E/NE winds were very light and didn't seem to be much of a cooling factor; instead air temps were dependant on aspect to the sun and slope steepness.

Pic 1: One of a few large cornices in this area.

Pic 2: Surface facets and small surface hoar gave the snow a sandpaper-like visual texture.

Pic 3: A fistfull of facets from just below the very thin surface crust. Shovel tilts and compression tests indicated the facets below the January rain crust would be problematic if buried in their current state.