Blackmore Lake, NE Aspect

Yesterday we tested and skied a well-protected, NE-facing line above Blackmore Lake. There were strong winds during our approach and we observed evidence of wind loading on northern aspects. By around 2 pm, wind speed and wind loading reduced significantly. At our pit location, we observed a thin wind crust (1-2cm) that moved quite readily. This layer did not move during stability tests and did not propagate while skiing, but released readily while skiing. At the bottom layer of the snowpack, we noted that the grain size increased since our visit to the area last weekend, and the faceting in this layer was much more apparent particularly at the bottom of the layer (see photo).