Observations from Ebbetts Pass

Pic 1: I was surprised there was enough snow to access Ebbetts Pass from the east, via Silver Creek. Some dry pavement and very firm snow, but still possible. I rode down the west side of the pass as far as the turnoff for Highland Lake, and even though this road faces almost due south, there was snow the whole way.

Pic 2: Holes are opening up in creeks. On creeks with enough snow to cross, transitions are getting abrupt.

Pic 3: Along the ridge above Noble Canyon, sastrugi was transitioning into sun cups. Ski and track penetration was deep enough for enjoyable riding. In this snow, I sank knee deep into a mix of wet snow and facets when getting off my sled, although no signs of wet instabilities were observed. Shaded slopes had +/- 6" of faceted snow, with a thin crust and/or wet layer at the surface.

In general, better riding conditions than expected, though surfaces were highly variable and difficult to anticipate.