Snowpack Observation

We chose Rubicon Peak for our morning ski today. At the start of our tour, we found light wind and moderate snowfall. We broke trail into about six inches of fluffy snow, and could feel a melt-freeze crust about 10-12 inches deep. Above 7500', ski penetration was around 12 inches and, in isolated areas, upwards of 18 inches. In hand pits, we felt a low-density, rightside-up storm slab on top of even-lower-density storm slab. Near the top of the peak, winds were moderate and cornices were forming along the ridge line. By skinning above my partner's skin track across a low-angle area known to form wind slabs, I produced shooting cracks up to about 3 feet in length. No other signs of instability were observed. Overall we found rather pleasant travel conditions, so to speak.