Quick report
To put it simply, it would be difficult to ski below 10500 feet in this area.
With this in mind, we hiked in winter runners on a packed summer trail up to the Tyee Lakes Basin. Travel was easy on foot from 9000 to 10200 feet. Here, my partner chose to go ice skating while I forged upwards in futility towards the upper basin. My high point was 10500 feet where I concluded that even here it was easier to walk in shoes than it would be to ski.
Looking at the higher peaks in the area, it's obvious that the wind and sun have degraded the alpine snowpack since I was last here about a week ago. A highly motivated rider could likely still find some turns in Bishop Creek at 10500 feet and above, but the cost of admission is currently high.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 43
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- none
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Mostly clear, light west winds and temperatures above freezing.
Snowpack
@9000 feet: 10 cm of snow, mostly faceted except where impacted by the sun
@10500 feet: 20-30 cm of snow, mostly faceted with a rain crust near the ground
*Of note: snow surfaces here seem less wind-affected than surfaces in the northern zones relative to elevation.