Breakable Crust, Warm Snow, Wind Affected Snow on Lola

We took the snowmobiles to Mt. Lola today to see how high yesterday's rain crust extends. The sleds also allowed us to cover ground and look at a variety of different aspects and elevations. Conditions on the groomed roads were firm and refrozen this morning. We had to get off the beaten path into the meadows to keep the sleds cool. Once we left the roads, the sleds easily punched through yesterday's rain crust into softer snow. In some places, this crust would grab a ski. The rain crust existed on all aspects. Once we got above about 7000 ft, it started getting much thinner on the shaded northerly aspects (but it was still there). Below the rain crust, the snow remained soft and sometimes the sleds would trench down into older snow. We found the Jan 22 rain crust and old previously weak snow deep in the pack with a thick layer of strong snow above. 

Above 8000 ft, the rain crust became less noticeable. We encountered mostly supportable snow. Sunny aspects held soft warm snow and shaded colder aspects held variable snow. Along the summit ridge, wind effects abounded. The windward side of the ridge was scoured and sculpted. Large pillows and cornices existed on the leeward side. We chose to avoid the large drooping cornices as well as the slopes below them. 

On the way back, sunny weather and warm temperatures had softened the crust, the snow on previously tracked areas, and on the groomed roads.