We were able to get all the way up to Emerald Lake in Tyndall Gorge yesterday...snow cover is pretty thin, and what's there is classic CO early season windslab. Speaking of wind, it was howling probably around 30 mph, with gusts around 60 mph. Very intense.
We dug a quick pit on a N-NE facing 28 degree slope. Snowpack was 131 cm deep, with depth hoar from 0-20 cm and stiff windslab from 20-131 cm (1F hardness). During CT, fracture during column isolation at 20 cm. Nothing unexpected, just good to see for ourselves. Snow depth in general was highly variable due to wind redistribution.
Got a few "turns" in on the way out, and most importantly: no broken bones and no core shots! November backcountry skiing success.
