Teton Pass Snow Profile 10-21-07

I toured around the top of Teton Pass today to get a sense for the current early season snow pack. The early season pack often dictates the stability of the snowpack for the entire winter. Here are a few notes after the last week of snowfall:

1. 12-18 inches of snow exist around 8,000-8,500 feet

2. 3 primary layers exist
- 3-4 inches of rounded grains resting on the ground
- 1-2 inch rain/sun crust that developed from after a previous storm
- 8-12 inches of medium density unconsolidated fresh snow

3. A number of people were skiing in various North facing areas. The skiers were not breaking through the burried crust. This protected skis from rocks and it appearted that the skiing was better then expected.

4. The burried crust has the potential to be a significantly impact snowpack stability all winter. Generally, when you can ski in October the early snow leads to futuer avalanches.

5. The picture below was taken on a NE aspect at 8,500ft. The mid-layer crust can clearly be seen.