Quick report
We traveled to the base of the Hourglass Couloir via Treasure Lakes and got a good look at how various aspects were holding up high in the Rock Creek area at mid-day on March 20th. Recent rollerball activity was widespread on steep westerly slopes and more significant entrainment (up to D1) was especially apparent on the southeast slopes of Treasure Peak above Treasure Lakes. Snow height in the Treasure Lakes area was nearly two meters. Melt-freeze crusts softened significantly above 11,000 feet, with due north aspects above this elevation skiing quite well with up to 15 cm of powder snow overlying four-finger snow. Dug a pit at 11,600' on a north aspect to check out the upper snowpack. Very right-side up excepting a mostly-healed prior weak layer (1 finger minus under pencil) down 50 cm that was unreactive in tests. Height of snow was deeper than my probe, even after digging out a meter, thanks to last winter. Hourglass Couloir was scoured at top and showed evidence of wind slab debris, so we opted to ski a due north run on the ridge separating Dade Lake from the Hourglass/Treasure Lakes drainage and found good skiing quality. It began snowing (light to moderate) at 1430 and continued very intermittently until at least 1700. Mix of rimed crystals and graupel at first.