Rock Creek Conditions

Toured from the Rock Creek Sno Park to about 10600' on the E side of Rock Creek below the Wheeler Crest.  Heavy wet snowfall all morning.  Hand shear tests revealed some slab behavior in the new snow at lower elevations around 9600' but already reasonably good bonding to the old snow surface.  Kick tests on very steep slopes got some storm snow to slide, but generally stability in the new snow seemed good.  Higher up, a few hundred feet of elevation gain made the difference in precip type between graupel at 10150' and decently light powder at 10600'.  Strong S winds in exposed areas and ridgelines.  Visibility was poor so it was hard to see how much snow transport was happening.  By 1245 there was 6" of new snow at 10000'.  When we returned to the car around 1400, snowfall near the bottom of the canyon was very intense - my windshield was impossible to see through 1 minute after wiping it.  Driving down towards Bishop around 1430, snow turned to rain around 6500'.