Castle Peak

On my morning commute, I noticed lake-level cloud cover with clear skies overhead, indicating a temperature inversion. I hoped this meant that with an overnight refreeze, the inversion would soften snow surfaces at higher elevations. From the Johnson Canyon trailhead at 11am, we saw evidence of a decent overnight refreeze, with supportable snow even under dense tree cover. Unfortunately as we gained elevation, exposure to cool winds kept the snow surfaces firm. We did find some soft snow on sunny, wind sheltered slopes, but it was too inconsistent and patchy for quality riding, especially with firm previous tracks that did not soften. By our departure at 2:30pm, we also did not find consistent enough wet snow on the surface for wet loose concerns. Instead, our primary concern today was the several large and overhung cornices in the area.