Professional Observation-Solid in Skyland

Today we rode the hardened roads and trails in the Skyland area.

• The cooler temps left the area locked up with only the most exposed southern slopes softening ever so little.  
• We had to hunt around to find anything more than a skiff of loose snow atop the melt/freeze crust.  Shaded N and W slopes above 6500' had 1-2 inches of sticky snow.  7500' and above had slightly more, only due to wind transport/accumulation right below the ridges.  Below 6500' all aspects had a solid crust.
• We saw one glide crack that had failed and several old wet/loose, however, no recent avalanche activity. 
• The rain started around 2:00, with elevations above 6200' receiving light amounts of snow.  When we left the it wasn't raining hard enough to do much more than wet the road.