Warm day at Indian Valley

Warm day with strong sunshine and calm winds. Sunny slopes, especially at low elevations, were already getting wet before noon. Slopes with less direct sun and at higher elevations still held cold, unconsolidated snow through our departure at 3pm. No current wind loading observed today.

Pic 1: This cross loaded and sunny test slope (due east at 8000ft) often produces results, but today only harmless roller balls. Nearby but at about 1000' higher elevation on the NE face of The Nipple,  someone was lapping a steep, previously windloaded line that produced a D1 dry loose avalanche.

Pic 2: Large cornices looming throughout the area, and evidence of previous dry loose avalanches that did not step down to wind slabs.

Pic 3: 1-2ft of soft snow on top of a very supportable crust. Mitt pits, a shovel tilt, and numerous slope cuts did not show signs of instabilty today, though we did not get into significantly wind loaded terrain.

Pic 4: A friend riding nearby, in more wind loaded terrain, unintentionally triggered this D1.5. Note the crown height compared to the flank; it looks like slab thickness tapered to shallow, otherwise this could have been a D2.

Pic 5: Another D1.5 with a deeper crown that also tapered to shallow. For a sense of scale, zoom in to see the stuck rider above the crown, center frame.