Warming in the Sherwins

Toured from the end of Old Mammoth up above Mammoth Rock, followed the trees just east of Mammoth Rock Bowl up to the main ridge, and skied the trees around the Hose down to the bottom. 

It was well above freezing at 0900 at the end of the road.  There was about 15-20cm of new snow in the protected, shaded areas.  Lots of new melt freeze (MF) crust from yesterday’s warming and the night's cool temps.  The new snow failed with moderate force on hand shears 1-2cm above the old hard MF crust in the new snow (see photo).  We came across no evidence of wind slab development on northerly aspects below tree line.  20-40 feet immediately below the ridge was scoured to the old snow surface.  Above 9000’ on NE slopes in direct sunlight, the top 5cm of the new snow was moist and dry below by 10am. The first couple turns off the ridge past the scoured old snow at 10:30am, we kicked off small roller balls that quickly eroded.  If we had skiied the NE slopes with the most warming, the roller balls probably would have grown, but it wasn't warm enough yet for any wet loose hazard on the northernly aspects.  

Scanning the Mammoth Crest with the binoculars, we saw one slough that ran a few hundred feet down a NE facing chute looker's left of Hammil Bowl that probably ran during the storm.