04 January 04, 09:00 - 12:00, Snowy Range.  Skied to Skinny Dip Meadow at the
fork of Sally Creek and played on the hillside.  The temperature was bitterly cold.
Dug a snowpit at the foot of the hillside.

Location:  WGS84 Zone 13 3986875E 4578297N
Aspect: Nearly flat, slightly south-facing

98 cm top of snow
-------------------------------------------------------
                           soft powder
69 cm old surface -------------------------------------- easy shovel shear
                           fist-hard consolidated snow
43 cm visible old surface ------------------------------ no shovel shear
                           fist-hard consolidated snow
23 cm visible old surface ------------------------------ no shovel shear
                           depth hoar
0  cm
ground--------------------------------------------------------------

In a Rutschblock test, the snow column shifted along the two visible old surfaces
after a big jump, but the column did not collapse.

Remarks:  The snowpack at this pit was much different from that seen early in the 
past two or three seasons.  The depth hoar is not as loose or sugary, and there is
less of a tendency for the snow column to collapse.  Still, this snowpack may not be
representative of what people will find on steeper slopes with different aspects.