Variable Conditions Around Slab Cliffs

We encountered highly variable conditions in the Incline Lake Peak and Slab Cliffs areas today. On the sheltered northerly aspects, ankle-deep soft snow still existed. On these aspects, we found less exposed rocks but still chose to ski conservatively due to concerns about the coverage. Tests on the surface snow in these areas indicated that it could serve as a weak layer once a slab accumulates on top of it. In more exposed areas on NW-N-NE aspects, we encountered small pockets of firm wind slabs resting on top of softer snow. All of the ones we saw were small, shallow, did not extend very far downslope. As we left the northerly aspects to return to the vehicle, coverage and conditions became much worse with variable crust on the snow surface and numerous widespread exposed rocks. We ended up kick-turning our way down some of the rocky crusty easterly aspects.  

Photo: Skier triggered cracking in a small shallow slab on a wind-loaded pocket.

Photo 2: Clouds moving into the area ahead of tomorrow night's storm.