Encouraging test scores on Shedhorn Mountain

My partner and I snowmobiled into the Taylor fork up to the base of Shedhorn Mountain where we began ascending the E aspect on skis. On the way up,  SW winds were gusting in the moderate range  and there was active wind loading visible on the ridgeline. We chose to make our way up one of the main avalanche paths and observed a definitive faceted weak layer below more recent new snow. In November, I had observed this weak layer while it was forming, so I was not surprised to find it.

On a due east aspect at 8972', we chose to dig a quick test pit in lower angle terrain before traveling higher on the slope and exposing ourselves to the steeper avalanche terrain above that had evidence of somewhat recent D1-1.5 avalanches. Our pit showed a snow depth of 80cm and a definitive weak layer below recent new snow. Our results were encouraging, ECTN16, and we skinned up to treeline and skied the lower angle slopes below.