Quick report
On all aspects that we traveled on around Stuart Peak, we found low density new snow very poorly bonded to the 2/20 rain crust. At 7,500' on a 25deg, SE aspect, off the S ridge of Stuart we found a foot of fist hard new snow. The first column I cut with my pole for a hand shear failed above the crust on isolation. The second, video attached, failed with very light force beneath the rain crust. The crust at this elevation was 2cm of crunchy, pencil hard ice forms topped by 1cm of knife hard ice. We isolated an extended column test as well- ECTN17, 30cm down above the rain crust. HS=180cm. The new snow was still very light and has not yet formed much of a storm slab. When it does, I'd expect to see propagating test results. We avoided the steep E and SE terrain and aimed to ski on the N face instead. We identified the potential for windslab, but were surprised by how touchy it was sitting on that 2/20 rain crust, though we probably shouldn't have been based on our previous observations mentioned above. I triggered a small D1 windslab on a ski cut, which entrained some more snow with it below. Windslab aside, the new snow was so poorly bonded to that crust, that we now expected it to sluff off down to the crust on each turn on that steep of a pitch (~35deg). So I skinned back up and we skied the lower angle SW glades instead, which were very fun. Below 7000' on the SW aspect, the new snow was more settled with the sun, but still not well bonded to the crust. It was generally cool up high all day with a very slight SE wind that did not seem to be transporting any snow. The slight haze kept the sun's warmth tempered.
Avalanche
Triggered a D1 windslab on a N aspect just off the W ridge of Stuart Peak at ~7,880' with a ski cut. The avalanche broke at my skis, I was not caught. The fresh windslab was quite soft (F) and did not propagate beyond where I skied. It failed in the new snow about 1cm above the 2/20 rain crust. Perhaps facets above the crust, but we did not inspect closely to confirm. D1 windslab, ~20ft wide, 1.5ft thick at the middle, tapering to ~5 inches at the flanks.