Typically this soil has strong granular structure but it has weak subangular blocky structure in some pedons. It is soft or slightly hard. Typically this horizon has weak to moderate fine subangular blocky structure, but structure varies in both grade and class. Dry consistence is slightly hard to hard. These are the Haverly and Strain series.
Haverly soils are somewhat poorly or poorly drained.
Strain soils have a paralithic contact above a depth of 40 inches. The Ptarmigan soils are on convex crests of mountains and ridges above timber line. Slope gradient ranges from 2 to 80 percent. The soils formed in material weathered residually or locally transported from gneiss and schist or similar bedrock. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 35 inches, most of which comes as snow.