Hiked from Jackass Meadow trailhead (7,050 ft) to Upper Jackass Lake (9,200 ft). Encountered a few large patches of snow with a really hard glaze at Middle Jackass Lake (8,910 ft). Almost impossible to kick steps in. I was not carrying an ice axe, crampons, or snowshoes. Trekking poles helped, but the snow conditions defintely influenced me to use alternate routes from the trail at times, even though the vast majority of the terrain was snow-free.
The weather forecast was for high of 40 and low of 26. I wasn't carrying a thermometer, but that seemed pretty accurate. There was about 10% - 20% snow coverage on the headwall above the lake, which is the east face of the Southeast Ridge of Madera Peak. Had I continued to Burro Lake or the summit of Madera Peak, I would probably have wanted an ice axe and possibly crampons. The weather was cold and clear, but practically windless. I had the lake all to myself, and the place is beautiful, so what more can a solo hiker ask for?
