Ashman north bowl

We went into the day with a mindset of caution and evaluation even with the low/low/moderate hazard due to uncertainties about both the Dec 23 interface persistent weakness, as well as mention in the forecast about recent 5-15 cm of recent snow potentially overlaying pockets of surface hoar and knowing that the north bowl is a known producer on persevered surface hoar. We planned to ski the most conservative line (essentially the uptrack). There are 3 places that the team had previous experience ski cutting on the treed ramp that leads down to the main run. The first and second ski cuts (sz 2 and 1.5) released very reactive slab 20-30cm deep propagating fast and far with audible surface hoar sound on the bed surface. As the first ran down the track it started to pull out small lateral flanks. These releases started on >35deg and NE aspect, with slightly gentler and more N to NW aspects not failing. A fracture line profile showed 20-30cm of new snow over the buried surface hoar, then another 40cm down to the Dec 23 surface. Oddly, an extended column test did not propagate across the failure plane, nor was there failure on the Dec 23 surface. The slab did not seem like wind deposition. Rather, with air temps ~-1.5 and the snow surface starting to moisten we figured the recent new snow was developing slab properties from the warming. We carried to the last ski cut location with no results, but still carried on farther into the trees and skied the remainder of the line conservatively, then called it a day.