9 Jan 00, 10:00 am -3:00 pm, Snowy Range.  Skied from Little Laramie Trailhead
to the YCC bridge over the North Fork, following the Lodgepole Trail and the 
lower North Fork Trail from the North Fork Campground.  It was an exceptionally 
windy day with some new snow falling.  The Lodgepole Trail had been recently 
machine-packed.  There were 6 vehicles (no snowmobile trailers) in the Libby 
Creek Trailhead and 6 (3 with snowmobile trailers) in the Little Laramie 
Trailhead.  Dug a snowpit in the North Fork campground, with the following
results.

Time:     1300 9 Jan 00.
Location: North Fork Campground, off Sand Lake Road.
Weather:  Windy, about 20F, but pit location was sheltered by thick lodgepoles.
Aspect:   Flat ground.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Depth (cm)    Hardness       Grain size      Shovel Shear     Comment
0---------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Fist           < 1 mm                           New powder
10------------------------------------------ Easy ----------- Old surface --
              3 Fingers      < 1 mm                           Old layer
15--------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Fist             1 mm                           Depth hoar
50----------------------------------------------------------- Ground -------

Comment:  Snowpack is unusually shallow, and this fact combined with cold
temperatures has led to the formation of a significant layer of depth hoar.
Skiers should be very cautious on slopes greater than 25 degrees, since the
depth-hoar layer may cause dangerous levels of instability.