Variable Conditions near High Meadows

Overall an unremarkable tour. Providing this observation due to possible relevance to recent incident in the area. 

Decided to adventure from near the top of sky down towards Monument Pass to explore. Heavy rime on trees above 9500' and partial fog. At and above the fog layer snow was soft and made for good skiing but encountered an intermittent crust lower down. Crust seemed very aspect and tree cover dependent, so likely caused by solar heating earlier in the day.

Found a skin track heading up and over Monument Pass and was excited to find I'd have an easy way back to the High Meadows neighborhood but was soon disappointed when I found the track started a short distance away at the bottom of a notable SE facing gully (location marked for observation, and third photo uploaded). 

I traversed along the drainage and skied another W facing low angle aspect from 7800' to 6800' feet before trudging all the way back to cal base. In general SW, S, and SE aspects were crusty while W and even often WSW aspects still held soft snow.