Buttermilk country-Peaklet peak - winds keeping conditions firm

40.5F @ 10613ft @ 1130am 40-50mph WSW wind

Hiked and skinned the nearly 3 miles to the true base of Peaklet Peak in the Buttermilks today and up the East face. A strong consistent headwind from the WSW impeded progress all day and ultimately kept sunny aspects relatively locked up, except for where very sheltered in lower elevations. There was just a tad of softening on due south aspects at 1130 where I was, and I had second thoughts whether to wait it out for more solar input to soften things up, but honestly on Peaklet today I don’t think it happened. Consistent down sloping wind of 40-50mph kept the surface cool.

The snowpack is hammered and there is a big brown skidmark of windblown decomposed granite and talus down the middle of the main Wahoo gully. Snowpack was from 30-40cm deep on due East aspects and upwards of 75cm on North aspects on Peaklet at 10600ft elevation. Northerly are mostly faceted, some areas encapsulated by hard windboard, others by variable sastrugi features. Supportive melt/freeze crust on the East that was over a variety of crusts, and very transitional from winter to spring like snowpack.

Nothing in regards to wet loose activity, just wind, more wind, and spring like temperatures. I’m in my shorts and t-shirt in Bishop (70+degrees today).  Better time for pruning the orchard than skiing… hurts to admit that