Observations from Genoa Peak area

Warm day between Spooner Summit and Genoa Peak. Evidence of a poor overnight refreeze below 8000ft, with deep ski and track penetration into wet snow upon our arrival in the late morning. A thin crust with variable strength was observed above 8000ft. Most of the snow below approximately 8700 feet was too wet/warm to be moved by the wind, and up to our high point of 9000ft, surface snow was rimed and dense, preventing significant wind transport. By our departure around 2:30pm, the snow had softened considerably due to daytime warming.

At our highest point near Genoa Peak we found some areas of previously wind blown snow. Snow pit tests and slope cuts with a snowmobile in this area failed to produce results. 

Photo 1: A previously wind loaded test slope did not produce cracking except when cuts were put very close to each other.

Photo 2: Rime covered tree in a windy location near Genoa Peak. Trees just a few hundred feet below this location did not have rime plastered to them. 

Photo 3: Rime covered sastrugi growing into the west winds. 

Photo 4: In one of the more wind loaded areas observed, there was only 15-20cm of soft snow above a very firm crust. ECTs did not propagate and hand shears were hard, with inconsistent planar/not planar results at the crust/wind blown interface. Another previously wind loaded area had wet snow at the surface and also no signs of instability.