Castle Peak

Despite the cool E-NE winds, we hoped today's sunny, warm weather would soften some lower-elevation south-facing slopes.

As we skinned up to the ridge, we moved through several different zones, including tree-covered areas, northerly and easterly facing slopes, open slopes, and some sunny slopes. A few small patches of softer snow still lingered in cold spots. Most places held firm, uneven snow variations, like wind-packed surfaces, icy crusts, and wind-carved snow. Even in the areas where the soft snow lingered, old tracks created firm, uneven interruptions on the surface.

Along the ridge, the snow surface was firm enough that crampons would have been nice. The winds increased when we reached about 8200 ft, and above that elevation, snow surfaces remained firm and frozen on all aspects. Below 8200 ft, the slopes that faced due south melted enough for 1/2 to 1 inch of soft wet snow to form on top of the supportable melt-freeze crust by 11 am.