Quick report
Cold, windy, and snowy
Felt more like a mid winter storm day compared to the recent spell of warm weather. New snow amounts varied from 3-5" of dense, fairly right-side up snow with heavily wind-drifted areas ~12" deep. Good riding quality. Most wind-loaded terrain contained stiff, stubborn slabs ~6-8" deep. Clean, planar hand shears failed with moderate force above melt freeze crusts (W-S-E aspects) or preserved stellars and decomposed fragments (N aspects) from snow earlier this week. Despite our efforts, we did not initiate any moving snow or experience shooting cracks while stomping on exposed ridgelines. The slab character did not inspire us to travel on steep wind-loaded terrain regardless.
Strong-moderate wind until departure around 13:00. Visible and obvious wind transport above 9,000'. Cold front arrival dropped temperatures to the mid-high teens. Overcast skies. Light to moderate snowfall.
Snow coverage is very low below 9,000'. Careful route finding is necessary to avoid heinous exits. Watch for rocks and sharks lurking below the new snow.