Observation: Cutler Ridge

Apologies in advance, currently still learning how to dig and interpret pits, so my obs may leave out proper technical language or misinterpret some of the information in front of me.

Picture 1: small slab that broke loose from elbow tap

Picture 2: aftermath of prying on the column

Went up Cutler ridge and dug a pit at roughly 7800 feet on a NE facing aspect. Predominant winds were coming out of the NW, with light snow falling through the afternoon. Evidence of heavy wind loading over the last 2 weeks on west through north through east facing slopes, with heaviest accumulations on north facing sheltered areas. Pit evidenced crust from high heat and sun roughly 3 inches below the snow surface. ECT had reactivity from the elbow on a 5th tap on a slab roughly 5 inches in depth (breaking 5 inches below crust layer, 8 inches from surface). It seemed to fail on a layer of graupel. Besides that, the ECT did not budge until I pried on it with my shovel, shearing somewhere down near the snow line from January 22nd. Like someone said in a previous observation from the week for Ogden, the snow pack above the facets near the ground is becoming more solid, but a weak base and a possibile weak layer from late January still exist. Additionally be on the lookout for a new weak layer forming with this predominant new crust below the surface.