Wet Snow on Rubicon

As soon as we left the truck and started climbing Rubicon, we noticed a thin refrozen melt-freeze crust on top of wet loose transitional snow on the tree-covered N aspects. In some places this crust was supportable and in other places, we broke through it into the wet snow. We continued up and the snow became more supportable as we reached the upper elevations on Rubicon. Northerly aspects at these elevations still held snow that is transitioning between winter snow and spring snow. This area also held mostly uneven snow surfaces as a result of old tracks and wind effects. Near the top, the N aspects were firm, uneven, and loud.

We moved over to the E-facing side of the mountain and found 2-3 inches of wet snow sitting on a supportable base on the sunny slopes. In some of the shaded areas, the surface crust remained frozen. As we descended the wet snow got deeper, stickier, and less supportable. By 8100 ft at about 10:30 am, we could step off our skis and sink into shin-deep wet snow. At this point, we traversed back over to the cooler NE-N aspects. The snow was supportable on these slopes, but it felt like a mix of velcro and mashed potatoes since it has not fully transitioned to spring melt-freeze snow. We descended slowly and carefully back to the truck on low angle slopes with punchy, sticky wet snow.