Shooting Cracks and Intentionally triggered Avalanche

From email: "Skied NW of Cooke City today.

Yesterday the temps got up to 35 deg F at the NE Entrance SNOTEL. (It was raining hard and in the low 40's F yesterday between Laurel and Big Timber on I90.)

It didn't appear that it rained here, but there was upside-down trail breaking in the lower elevations today and hazardous conditions around 8700' as the slab got thicker.  The cold temps of last week definitely weakened/ faceted the snow in the thinner snowpack areas.  Photos attached of some cracking and a D1 soft slab that I remotely triggered with an intentional ski cut.  The slab was about 6"-1.5' deep and about 50' wide.  It was a SE aspect around 8700.

Above 9k', the snow structure was looking a lot better, and I was getting ECTNs (snowpit attached), and no more collapsing nor cracking.  The trees are CAKED with snow above 9k' in wind-sheltered areas."