Took advantage of the overnight freeze and hiked/skinned to a max elevation of 6300'. Travel was fast on a completely supportable (P+) crust with yesterday's dusting to 1cm of new snow providing some welcome traction. While thicker at lower elevations the crust was quite similar along varying aspects and elevations (see table). Below the crust was less dense (1F) moist (M) snow at all hand pit locations except at 6300' where the snow below the crust was (D-M). The blocks of surface crust did not slide easily on the underlying snow. No rollerballs (yet). The only avalance activity observed was a couple of small WL slides on a W aspect across the drainage from previous days (photo). Surface snow began to moisten on solar aspects about 9:30 and on all other aspects visted by 10:00. At 5200' icy windpacked snow at 8:30 had turned to way over-ripe corn/slush by 10:30 (though this area was flat and exposed to the sun).
Time Elevation Aspect Crust Hs ------------------------------------------------- 0820 4700' NW Lower limit of snow on the ground 0900 5650' SW 20cm 45cm Dusting of new snow 0920 5900' NW 15cm 150cm photo 0930 6000' S 12cm 95cm 1cm new, moist 0945 6100' NW 11cm 1cm new, dry 0955 6200' N 10cm 1cm new, dry 1000 6200' SW 10cm 1cm new, moist 1010 6300' NE 10cm 1cm new, just beginning to moisten
Skiing was smooth and easy during the short window of sufficient melting on a NW aspect. Got out early as suggested.
