Snow shoe in hyalite

I snowshoed from the road to Garto Falls to the open meadow below the east face of Elephant. The snow depth varied significantly along the way, ranging from 2 inches to 18 inches at different points. Definitely some unstable spots where I broke through a crust that was about 3-6 inches above the ground, also some weird sinking in the newer snow from the past few days. Around 8,000 feet, the wind intensified, causing heavy drifting snow. This could be seen on every peak in the area.