Mt Judah

We returned to Mt. Judah to see if the gradual warming and sunny days had produced more wet snow. On the way to the sunny southerly facing slopes, we passed through some shady N-facing terrain where we found several inches of sugary (facets) resting on top of a firm rain crust. The combination of cohesionless snow on crusts made conditions slippery. It could also become a weak layer and a bed surface if it continues to weaken before more snow falls. 

Once we got to the ridge, we saw more wind-affected snow surfaces. The east face of Mt Judah held a mix of raised tracks, scoured crusts, and other uneven wind-carved features. West winds kept things cool on the ridge and above 8000 ft on the south-facing slopes. Once we descended below 8000 ft on the south aspects, we felt the snow soften. It remained soft and mushy on the SE aspects. Ski cuts on these slopes triggered small sluffs of wet snow at 11:30. The due south and SSW-facing slopes had experienced more melt-freeze cycles and were farther along in the transition to melt-freeze snow (corn).