Continued Weakening of the Snowpack on Tamarack Peak

We toured up to Tamarack Peak to continue to monitor the snowpack in this area.  Snow coverage is limited to N-NE-E aspects, with deeper and more continuous snow coverage above 9000' on shaded aspects.  While digging a snowpit on an upper elevation North aspect, we found a 2-3' deep snowpack.  The bottom 1 to 1.5 feet of the snowpack is a very firm ice layer that covers some of the rocks/bushes/and other small anchors in this area.  This firm layer could also provide an excellent bed surface for future avalanches as we get future storm loading events.  The mid and upper snowpack is a combination of deteriorating rain crusts and faceted snow that has gotten weaker since our last visit on Friday Nov 19.  With no overlying slab on top of this weak snow, avalanche concerns are minimal until a slab forms on top of the weak layer.  The faceting process continues with a shallow snowpack, cold temperatures, clear skies, and long winter nights. 

Early season conditions exist throughout this area with exposed rocks, bushes, tree stumps, and open water features.  Mostly supportable snow conditions were experienced, but snow conditions remain inconsistent with areas of firm, soft, and a variety of crusts present.