I just got down from back to back trips on the MR March 10-13, and 16-18. Conditions change all the time but here are a few things I found:
*There's more snow in the North Fork Cyn below Lower Boyscout Lake than I've seen in 3+ years. 98% of the willows are covered. The snow is as unconsolidated as always but if you're fortunate enough to follow someone else's boot/snowshoe tracks it is pretty firm.
*The road is melted out to the lower end of the Portal (Meysan Lakes trailhead area). Lots of rocks are strewn across the road as usual.
*In addition to the Road Closed sign there are several big boulders across the road.
*The snowpack is pretty stable with low avalanche risk. There are still the problem areas that I always watch for. Some of the most hazardous areas are the ice at about 9500' across from the Ebersbacher Ledges, and the hill just below Iceberg Lake. The ice across from the E Ledges is mostly covered with snow. When it warms up it'll start sliding. The slope below Iceberg Lake is relatively firm and stable at the moment. When it warms up it'll soften. Keep in mind the bottom of that slope is a great terrain trap. This is the site of the last avalanche burial in this area.
*The is about 8-10' of snow at Iceberg Lake.
*The Mountaineer's Chute has a plentiful amount of snow. The cold temperatures have kept it fairly firm.
*The final chute above the notch has good coverage on the last 2/3 of the route. The bottom third is mostly rock.
