Rock Creek - Mosquito Flats

Ski toured up from just short of Mosquito Flats in the Rock Creek drainage to assess the snow coverage and Loose Wet concerns.

Overnight lows very warm with a very poor freeze. Snow coverage at the campground trailhead 3 to 5 feet. Poor freeze prevented me from traveling onto anything steep. Top 15 to 20 cm very moist. Noted several small natural Loose Wet releases on E-S-SW aspects, starting around 12,000’, most in and around rock features. Most fairly small and not propagating very wide. One ran a somewhat surprising long way, ~ 500’ vertical but remained quite narrow. Noted additional cornice failures, no avalanches associated. Test slopes showed the top 15 to 20 cm easily peeling off the underlying snow when disturbed. The lakes are starting to thaw with open water at the inlets and outlets (elevation ~9800’) and creeks beginning to open, snow bridges beginning to collapse, where present. Snow overall consolidated and thawing fast during the AM hours. A bit punchy in the lower elevations near vegetation or where the snowpack is shallow. Creeks and streams are running full and fast, Use caution on any water crossings.