Leigh Lake

It was HOT in the mountains. Following a weak freeze overnight, surface softening progressed much faster than we had hoped. We encountered wet boot top snow by 11:30 am and decided to pull back from traveling in or near steeper terrain. East and northeast-facing slopes on Snowshoe Peak provided quite the chorus of long-running loose wet slides which was more exciting than the ski quality on southerly slopes. 

We traveled mostly on southerly-facing slopes to just over 7,000 feet. Bare ground and glacial lilies dominate below 5,000 feet with some northerly aspects holding onto isolated snow patches. Above 5,000 feet all the way to summit elevations, there is ample snow cover for spring recreation. Snow surface firmness was heavily driven by how long today's strong sun had been touching slopes. The generally "hot" weather rapidly softened and wetted upper snowpack layers and they quickly became cohesionless. All aspects and elevations had some sort of rollerball activity with high, due-north providing the least evidence. Most southerly aspects had already shed recent snowfall from the warm, sunny weather last weekend, but near-surface snow got wet enough to easily sheet with ski pressure. It was common to sink knee deep into wet, rotten snow near exposed rocks, vegetation, and cliff faces, but those same layers below were more supportive in wide-open areas of slopes. Steeper easterly aspects and northeast aspects were the next places for this warm-up to influence the drier snow. The combination of colder snow and a strong springtime sun produced lots of long-running slides. Lots of opening cracks on slopes, and holes above creeks and the edge of the lake to be mindful of. Also, a loaner mountain goat to show us the uphill line through the snow and rock.