Northern San Juan

Snowpack

The snowpack is sparse but most pronounced on slopes that face the north side of the compass. The deepest areas of snow are in features that collect drifting snow, such as in a couloir or gully. Hiking down a snow-covered slope, I found the deepest areas to be about a foot deep. A stout but breakable crust sits on the surface. Below that crust, the snow is starting to decompose and facet. On the ground, a slick and even stouter crust was observed. This layer of snow was almost like ice and may have formed due to the high moisture levels in early October, before snow started to stick around?