Elephants Hump

6-8" of high density snow observed in wind sheltered areas, with deeper and higher density deposits on leeward slopes. Test slopes produced shooting cracks that mitt pits showed to fail within the new snow, not at the old/new interface. The first 2-3" above the old crust was mostly graupel, and the new snow above it was slightly higher density rimed precip.  Shooting cracks failed at the interface between the graupel and the snow above it, leaving behind a planar surface of graupel. These initiated much more consistently if I undercut the slope first. On undisturbed slopes, even very steep ones, I only got occasional shooting cracks. This was especially true on leeward test slopes with higher density snow.

Non-avalanche note: Although my descent ended on Red Lake, I did not trust the ice under recent snow, and chose to follow the sloped shore back to my truck instead of traveling along the lake itself.

Shooting cracks mostly limited to undercut test slopes