May 11, 2014, Commonwealth, Guye-Snoq environs

Mainly a conditions report. Mini-tour up around some relatively safe terrains, and skipped the Snoq summit due to high temps and wet slide conditions. Still great snow coverage starting right from Alpental Rd and the PCT trailhead. Conditions were mostly sunny, with temps rather steamy and lots of fairly skiable mush. Top ~8-12" were going fast though, with more to be found a few feet deep on all aspects. Easy to cut slopes propagating sizable oozing piles of snow-goo downslope on anything steep. We observed one exuberant tourer (outside of our group) take a little wet slide ride and briefly? lose a buried ski (otherwise inconsequential due to a safe runout, but plenty of terrain traps out there.) Plenty of the pinwheels, debris, and such that you might expect. Can imagine it not firming up that much in the next few days.