Pine Creek - Tungstar Bowl area - snow conditions

Mid-day tour up to 10200ft in the tungstar bowl area of PIne Creek. By midday skinning was fairly easy on northerly slope that had a bit of sun. There was still good soft powder in sheltered areas and westerly aspects with windboard had a creamy texture at 2pm. There was some evidence of recent wet loose activity on westerly slopes, both in tungstar and on the northwesterly aspects of Mt Tom. The sunny side of the Wheeler crest was actively shedding small wet loose and rocks during the afternoon hours.   It was above freezing for most of the afternoon with a light breeze from the south. I stayed within the northely confines of the bowl and did not experience any signs of instability.

Dug a shallow snowpit at 9200ft    14deg N aspect    30deg slope

HS: 220cm

220-195cm =4F,   195-180cm =1F,   180-175cm = (K hard melt/freeze or rain crust),  175-150cm = 1F

CT21 Q3 @ 215cm (surface winboard)

Good stability on slope, variable surfaces with sheltered areas having 25cm of F settled powder, to other areas of shallow windboard and shallow 5cm textured soft snow.