Ruby Range traverse

We observed minimal avalanche hazards. Yesterday's N/NW wind event left a few hard slabs scattered around upper elevations that were easy to ID by snow hardness and shape. Between ground roughness, wind erosion of slabs on high northerly terrain, and gradual decay of slabs in wind-sheltered northerly terrain, it's difficult to find any features of concern for persistent slab structures anymore.  The weakest snow surfaces currently are below treeline northerlies, where near surface faceting is more favorable away from the wind battering up high, along with some surface hoar growth.  

HS averaged about 50 to 60 cm on colder aspects. The snow surface is moderately wind-affected N/ATL from northerly winds: either wind crust, hard slab, softer sastrugi, or settled powder.  The south half of the compass became wet and produced some rollerballs.  We observed surface hoar growth (4-6 mm decreasing to 1-2 mm as we gained elevation) up to 10,700', but only in the Kebler Pass / Lake Irwin area and not in Peeler, Democrat, or Baxter Basin.