Found buried surface hoar... but no avalanches.

Today we targeted the Southern Whitefish Range in search of buried surface hoar. Recently we've had sparse evidence of this problematic layer and wanted to get a grasp of its distribution and sensitivity. Ultimately, we found the stubborn bugger right where we figured it would be; wind-sheltered, north-facing aspects where the sun and wind couldn't reach it while perched on the surface. 

• Buried surface hoar (persistent weak layer) beneath 1 to 2 feet of recent snow. Non-propagating pit tests. Numerous highmarks in adjacent terrain yielded no slab avalanches. 
• No signs of recent wind loading. A 1 to 2 inch melt-freeze crust spans southerly aspects which reduced the available snow for transport.
• Despite warm temperatures, surface crust on southerly aspects remained intact. 
• A dozen or so D1 loose wet avalanches from recent high pressure.
• Dry surface snow still exists on northerly aspects at mid-elevations. 

Due to non-propagating test results and a lack of avalanche activity, we felt comfortable riding avalanche terrain with clean runouts one at time. Despite recent tracks and fair confidence, we backed off riding a specific avalanche path due to a large depression in the runout that would act as a terrain trap.