Variable Snow near Slab Cliffs and Incline Lake Peak

Driving up to the parking area we took note of the sun-exposed SE-facing slopes and did not see any signs of loose wet instabilities in the morning. As soon as we left the car we found cold soft snow on the sheltered N-facing slope leading down to the lake. On the other side of the lake, we found a supportable frozen sun crust with shallow new snow on top of it on the sun-exposed E aspects. Soft cold snow still existed below the 1-2 inch thick crust.

We continued up low angle, N-facing slopes to the summit ridge on Incline Lake Peak. All along the ridge and on all of the exposed near and above treeline slopes, variable snow conditions including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, firm wind slabs, old tracks raised above the surface, and other wind effects existed (photos 1&2). Large cornices also still remained along this ridgeline (photo 6). We found some small wind-loaded test slopes both sides of the ridge. The SSW facing test slope that was loaded by the NE winds had a firm hollow sounding wind slab on it. A layer of much softer snow existed below this wind slab. Snowpit tests on this slope yielded unstable results (ECTP8, ECTP12 - photo 3). However, ski cuts and kicks did not produce cracking until we undercut the slope (photo 4). On the NNE facing test slope that was loaded by the SW winds, an older wind slab existed. Tests and ski cuts on this slope did not produce signs of instability (ECTN - photo 5).  

We left the ridge behind for more sheltered slopes in below treeline terrain and found ankle deep cold snow on northerly aspects. Large settlement cracks existed around some trees in this terrain (photo 7). Sun-exposed W-SW-S and E aspects started to get sun-affected by 1:30 pm but we still did not see any signs of wet snow instability. We looked at the S and SE facing slopes below cliffs and rocks on our way out and also did not see any new roller-balls or pinwheels as of 2:00 pm even though the sun was beating down on these slopes and the surface snow was just starting to get heavier.