Steamboat & Flat Tops

Snowpack

Dug snow pit on E aspect on 33* roll-over on skin track route of adjacent ski target slope, below treeline. Did not get exact measurements but estimated 30" snow pack. Upper pack well consolidated and pretty consistent with no readily apparent or reactive layering observed. Roughly the bottom 6" or 20% of snowpack was depth hoar (granulated but not extremely granulated if that makes sense- did not measure crystal sizes...). Column compression tests yielded Q14 and Q19 falures at the ground. Close scrutiny was needed to see the failure occur as it was subtle and not reactive. No signs of whumphing, collapsing, cracking etc. Snow pack analysis gave us a good feeling on overall slope stability. Sorry not very quantitative but I know you were soliciting some observations from this area.