Melt/freeze crusts were observed even in very sheltered flat and low angled terrain in the valley bottoms of BCC at 0900. Fortunately, once you achieved slope angles of at least 25 degrees on northerly facing terrain the surface conditions were still cold dry snow. Foot Penetration at 7000 feet was 8 inches, and at 8400 18 inches. Riding was excellent in light density snow that was at least 4 inches deep on NNE, N and NNW aspects up until 1200 when leaving. And, at 8400 feet these northerly aspects had bottomless riding with settled storm snow from the past weekend as a rebounding base below the light density surface conditions. Of note, the surface snow was sounding like it had already faceted when turning, and SH was visible. At 1200, northerly facing low angle terrain (< 25 degrees) still had a frozen m/f crust. Elsewhere on other aspects the surface was either damp, moist or saturated.
The superb settled powder riding as found today will continue to become more isolated and confined to strictly due north with slope angles > 30 degrees with the warm temperatures and the quality will decrease as the snow settles and becomes more dense.
