Sherwins - big shooting cracks, cornice failures, small wet slabs, rollerballs, new snow/rain

-Toured up to the Sherwins ridgetop this evening from the end of Old Mammoth Rd and back.

-Moderate snowfall by 5pm above 8600', rain below.  Strong gusts at mid elevations, moderate gusts down low, very strong SW over the ridgetop.  

~2" new snow at 8400', just over a foot at 9800'.  

-Sizeable cornices failed naturally this afternoon at ridgetop leaving big debris piles in the trees just below the ridge (phone battery died, no pics).  

-Sensitive windslabs below the ridge, large extended hand pits failed upon isolation (6-8" deep, top 3" = 1finger hard snow), 20-30' shooting cracks across slope.

-Widespread small to medium sized rollerballs across steep slopes (see attached pic).

-Stomp ontop of poop chute (8800') resulted in a small wet wind slab release (see attached video).

-Above 9400', surface was a breakable crust mix of windcrust and refreezing melt/freeze.

-9000': snowpack moist to ground.

-9500': top 7cm very moist, top 2cm beginning to refreeze.  Below that only slightly moist going to dry.