Intense wind distribution on Carson Pass.

     I toured out towards Round Top peak today. Along the way out from the trailhead, the below treeline terrain is still holding unconsolidated cold snow with boot pen up to 30cms in some protected areas. I also found some thinner melt freeze crusts on solar apsects within this terrain with cold snow underneath the crusts. I stopped an dug a pit on W aspect @ 8800'. There was a clear layer of buried surface hoar @ ~10cm below the surface. I tested this layer and CT results showed the abitlity to collapse but there was no slab above it. As I got to near treeline terrain, I got a good veiw of Elelphants Back. There was strong to intense wind loading on the NE-E face. The wind speeds and the amount of snow to distribute was the perfect setup for cornice building and wind depositing along these aspects. Once I got above treeline terrain the wind was moving the snow on the surface, causing snow tornadoes, and snow was being lifted of the ground making it airbourne for redistribution. The surrounding landscape supported the recents winds as this terrain was filled with pockets of soft cold deep snow, breakable wind slabs up to four inches, and supportable wind scoured surfaces with no ski pen at all. Despite the winds and the blowing snow, the ambient air temps were above freezing and did not contribute to much snow melt in this area. Round Top Peak, The Sisters and the surrounding area has widepread wind effected snow with large sastrugi formations within it and no signs of recent avalanches. All morning these winds were very steady during my tour, snow was continiously loading the N-NE-E aspects from all the way to Winnemucca Lake and back to the truck.