Lee Vining Canyon

Today I set out to check in on snow totals and wind affect in Lee Vining Canyon. 

• HN: 1 cm - 65 cm (wind loaded). It was hard to gauge wind blown snow from natural snow fall. 
• I observed limited instability and no avalanche activity in my travels below and near treeline, but had limited visibility. I heard rockfall/an avalanche around 1:30 pm. It sounded like it was further up the canyon. 
• Some leeward test slopes were unreactive. Others near treeline were stubborn, and slabs were soft (up to 4F/4F+) and not propagating. Slabs were anywhere from 5 cm to 25 cm thick, breaking on a layer of F precip particles. 
• There was clear wind affect in the area, and snow was slightly upside down. Winds shifted from W to E during my travels. 
• There was enough snow to skin up (barely) the first few hundred feet. Not enough snow to ski/ride down. 
• New snow below 8600' was moist upon descent @ 3:30 pm. 

One 40 ft by 40 ft area with collapsing on a near treeline slope, north, 9300'. Snow was wind affected, with a 4F wind deposit, up to 50 cm. This sat on top of a thin layer of F precip particles, over a P hard crust. No cracking or propagation. Overall, cracking limited to underfoot. No avalanches observed, but limited visibility.