Lightning

Leaving the truck around 10:00, walking around through the flats the snow surfaces were moist and soft below 7600', and had a thin MFcr from there 8000'. From near 8000' to 8300' on a SW aspect, I switched to hiking through the bushes as no snow coverage existed on the slope I chose to climb. From 8300' to 8700', there was a 2-4cm supportable crust on surfaces with graupel and PP's falling on top. Pole probing into the snowpack here, underneath the crust the snowpack was still moist 12-15cm down. Climbing up into the basin, surfaces were firm and slick enough to cause me to switch to booting just up the last steep bench to the base of Lorenzo / Lightning. 

Surfaces in the upper basin were a mix of wind-scoured and wind-loaded, with soft sastrugi and wind buff. Spending a lot of time glassing/drawing up in the alpine, I descended closer to 15:00. The upper bowl was firm and supportable down to 10,200', between 10,200' to 9,300' surfaces were corn-like. Below 9300', surfaces were moist and unsupportable, with a gradual transition to mashed potatoes and then down to isothermic stew below 8600' on steeper slopes. Snow bridges were sagging and failing throughout the day, and crossing/depressions while skiing should noted as hazards while moving through terrain as we move into spring.