Blowing snow at Incline Lake Peak

In our group's morning meeting we evaluated the uncertainty around the current avalanche problems and decided to stick with the status quo and keep steeper (>35') slopes closed on NW, N, NE and E aspects. We made plans to travel to Incline Lake Peak and generally avoid avalanche terrain, prioritizing skiing lower angle terrain and going to the summit ridgeline to investigate the impact of the increasing winds and to assess how much snow was available for transport.

During our tour day the cloud cover and winds increased into the afternoon. Generally warm air temps were not quite enough to soften the melt freeze crust that had formed on some lower elevation sun exposed aspects yesterday, but shaded northerly slopes still held soft surface snow. The 1/16 snow has been settling and increasing in hardness a bit. A quick pit at 9200' on a N aspect in near treeline terrain showed the 1/4 facet layer, but an ECT at this location did not suggest likely propagation (ECTN 15). (Photo 5).

At the ridgetop we observed periodic blowing snow from the gusty moderate SW winds (Photo 1). Dipping down onto the WSW aspect of the peak to look for how much snow was available for wind transport I observed a mix of surfaces scoured down to crusts and chalky wind effected patches of snow (Photo 2). Kicks at the small cornices along the ridgeline and wind slabs below them revealed only very limited cracking. (Photo 3).

On descent we observed the crown of a small wind slab avalanche right off the corniced ridgeline skier's right of the main NE bowl (at pin drop on map), (Photo 4). We were not able to get closer to the avalanche to determine if it was natural or human triggered, but with the heavy skier presence in this area we guessed skier triggered. Viewed from a distance the crown line was crisp suggesting that it was triggered today.