Early season blues

Toured up Snowshed Mtn to seek out turns and assess early season snowspack structure. 

• Weather- Below freezing, light variable winds, very light snowfall, cloud cover 100%
• Below 6000'
  -Generally speaking 4-6" of recent snow 
• 6500'
  -Experienced our first collapse (whumpf) in sheltered area near ridgeline
  -HS 60cm 
  -Dug a quick pit on a SE aspect, conducted CT with failure on facets above Nov 19 crust, moderate force
  -Nov 19 crust buried under 40-50cm snow in this location
• 7000'
  -Atypical cornice development with recent Arctics
  -8-10" new snow
  -NE winds had scoured/affected ridgelines (snow was slabby and thin in these locations)
  -Skied a low angle, treed slope on a SE aspect. Upon my first few turns off the ridgeline, experienced a very large collapse 
  -Dug a pit immediately after collapse 
   HS 100cm
   ECTP 13 @ 40cm (failed on facet layer Nov 19 crust)
  -Nov 19 crust/facet combo buried 60cm below surface, with subsequent 4F to F hardness slab capping it
  -The basal structure was weak in this particular location