Sketchy in the Tobacco Roots

Toured up to the south side of Bell Lake near treeline. Found sugary facets with the smallest sun crust on top, but generally less heat impact than in other areas. The snow above treeline was cold and preserved into a large slab. 

I heard two large whumpfs once I got into a clearing around the treeline.

Three large old naturals were spotted on east faces.

Dug a pit on a NE facing slope at around 9,207ft. The surface did not appear to be loaded relative to the rest of the area, but wind impact was noted, 140cm deep snowpack. CT11Q2 50 cm up, ECTP19 60 cm up. The structure was condescended basal ice with a layer of depth hoar that increased in softness as the distance from the bottom increased. Between 40-50cm was a reactive layer of fist facets, and between 50-55cm was a pencil/knife crust, with another layer of fist facets above. The slab was a 1F hard slab that was consistent in structure from 60cm to the top of the snowpack. The slab seemed to be formed by multiple wind events as there where multiple slabs stacked up with no weak layer in between.