Saturday, March 27
I skied with patroller Erin Schanzenback.  We arrived at the
Green Rock trail head at about 10:00.  We skied up Sally Creek
and skied at Skinny Dip Meadow.  To prepare for Sunday�s Red
Cross First Responder class we dug a snow cave and scouted out
an appropriate location to conduct the class exercises.
The temperature was in the mid to high 20s with overcast skies
and snow.  During the course of the day we encountered three
skiers heading up Sally Creek.

Two vehicles were present at the bottom of the Barber Lake Road.
No vehicles were present at the Corner Mountain trail head.
Five vehicles were at the Little Laramie trail head.  There
were approximately 120 vehicles at the Green Rock trail head.

We dug a snow pit along Sally Creek on a south facing ridge about
300 yards before Skinny Dip Meadows (SE, NW, SE, Sec 14, T16N, R79W).
The slope had about a 22 degree slope and was oriented almost
due south.  Snow depth in the pit was over four feet.  The surface
temperature (T) of the snow was -2 Celsius (C). At 20 centimeters (cm)
the T raised to -1 C.  The T remained at -1 C until 100cm level where
it rose 0 C (there was a highly faceted depth hoar layer at this point).
The T remained at 0 C from 100 cm to the ground at 120 cm.  From the
surface to the 20cm mark there was unconsolidated snow that had fallen
within the last 24 hours.  From 20-24 cm there was layer of pen snow
(sun crust).  From 24-45 cm there was a one finger block.  From 45-47 cm
there was an ice layer.  From 47-72 cm there was a two finger block.
From 72-100 cm there was a another two finger block.  From 100 cm-ground
there was highly faceted (>2 mm) depth hoar.  A shovel shear test
revealed shear plains between each of the blocks discussed above.
We conducted a Rutchblock test.  The skier had to jump up and down
three times to initiate a slide.  The block collapsed the depth hoar
layer and slide all the way to the ground.  The snow pack would appear
to be reasonably stable, but I would advise caution on steep
terrain (30%+ slopes).

Sunday, March 28
I arrived at the Green Rock trail head at 7:45 and met with Tom Bryant
and Jay Jurkowitsch (instructors for the Red Cross First Responder
course).  At 8:10 we left for Sally Creek with eleven students.
We spent the remainder of the day up the Sally Creek drainage
practicing winter survival and avalanche skills.  By noon the
temperature rose to the mid 30s with sunny skies.  In the early
afternoon the skies became overcast and the temperature dropped
to the mid 20s with light winds and snow.

Three skiers passed our group heading up the Sally Creek drainage.
When I left at 3:30 there were approximately 160 vehicles at the
Green Rock trail head, eight vehicles at the Little Laramie trail
head, two vehicles at the Corner Mountain trail head, and no vehicles
at the bottom of the Barber Lake Road.