27 Mar 05, 09:30 - 15:30, Snowy Range. Skied into the Middle Fork Little
Laramie  drainage, west of Centennial Ridge, via forest roads 338, 307,
and 307A.  Visited the  waterfall upstream of Independence Mine, then
skied back to Centennial Visitors Center  via the abandoned road along
Mullen Creek.  Dug a pit along road 307A at the foot of  Centennial
Ridge, about 100 yards north of the cutoff to Independence Mine.

227 cm ---------- Surface ------------------------------
       1F
225 cm ---------- Q1 shovel shear ----------------------
       F
217 cm -------------------------------------------------
       Old surface, too crumbly to measure hardness
215 cm -------------------------------------------------
       4F
175 cm ---------- Q1 shovel shear on old surface hoar --
       1F
165 cm ---------- Q1 shovel shear on old surface hoar --
       1F
146 cm
       P
110 cm ---------- Depth of pit -------------------------

0   cm ---------- Ground level -------------------------

Slope angle: about 15 degrees
Slope aspect: W
All snow grains < 1 mm except for plate-like surface-hoar crystals at
175 cm and 165 cm.

Comments:  This complex snowpack reflects a great deal of weather
fluctuation over the  past few weeks.  The hardness transition between
the 2-cm surface layer and the  fist-hard powder underneath confirmed
the existence of a thin but tender surface slab  that was obvious to
skiers breaking trail.  More subtle were the easy shearing  interfaces
at 175 cm and 165 cm -- both less than 1 m in depth and therefore of
possible  concern as weak layers on slopes over 30 degrees in steepness.
At least in this  location, the snowpack has not gone isothermal yet.