The snow depth at the Highway seemed around 125cm? (I didn't measure it), the snow was nicely covering most of the bushes and willows etc, at the highway elevation. ( 1200m)
There was a thin raincrust buried under 5cm of storm-snow at the highway elevation (1200m), this thin crust disappeared at around 1500m, and above this elevation the snow was pretty much undisturbed, 20-25cm of ski pen. The winds were very light NE, air temps -8.0, thin scattered to broken sky conditions. HS in sheltered areas at ridge-lines was 200-250cm.
There was evidence of an avalanche cycle (dec 12th?) numerous small slabs in steeper terrain. However today the pack felt pretty strong, although a layer of surface hoar (3-5mm) is present in many areas. . The big question is, will forecasted outflow winds destroy the surface hoar, or will snow flurries bury and preserve this layer in the coming days?
I think I will return in the coming days and check it out!
Paul Berntsen
Mtn Guide