9 Mar 03, 09:00 - 14:30, Snowy Range.  Skied from Green Rock to Silver
Run Lake via Sally Creek, crossing the Libby Creek drainage and working
cross-country to Upper Silver Run Lake.  Then skied down Silver Run
Creek to its confluence with Libby Creek, crossed to Barber Lake trail,
and cut over to the Corner Mountain trailhead via the Corner Mountain
trail.  Snow conditions were good all day, except for some spring-like
glop at lower elevations in mid-afternoon.

Dug a snowpit on the north shore of Silver Run Lake:

Location: Silver Run Lake
          Zone 13 396638E 4575785N (NAD 27)
Aspect:   South, shady
Slope:    0-5 degrees

0  cm   --------- Surface --------------------------------------

        wind slab; hardness = 3 fingers

31 cm   --------- Old surface ----------------------------------

        coherent mass; hardness = 1 finger

102 cm   --------- Top of depth hoar; easy shovel shear ---------

        depth hoar; loose, faceted crystals about 1 mm

124 cm   --------- Ground ---------------------------------------


Interpretation:  This snowpack shows some signs of equitemperature 
metamorphosis.  The hair-trigger instability observed elsewhere last 
month was not noticeable here. But a depth-hoar layer persists, suggesting
that caution is appropriate on steep slopes.