A little more powdered sugar, please

We skied up a pyramidical peak that reached into upper elevations to assess wind slab avalanche problems in the Flathead Range/ John F. Stevens Canyon.

• We found 0-10" of new and/ or drifted snow on the 2/1 crust, with accumulations varying with elevation and wind exposure. The snow was low-density and not cohesive. Skinning were not easy, especially on steep slopes with only a few inches of new snow. 
• Except for some downvalley gusts in the morning, winds were calm to light until we reached about 7000 feet. Above that elevation we encountered moderate northwesterly winds with some strong gusts and light blowing snow.
• We found isolated soft drifts up to 10" deep in open, mid elevation terrain, along with patches where the winds had scoured away recent snow down to the 2/1 crust. Above 7000 feet, drifts were up to 18" thick, but confined the ridge we were ascending. In more exposed terrain, or directly leeward of a large fetch, it seems drifts would be more common and thicker.
• We experienced only a few short cracks and saw no fresh wind slab avalanches, though poor visibility prevented a definitive survey of surrounding terrain. 
• The weakest layer in the top ~90 cm of the snowpack is in the 5-10cm below the 2/1 crust (east facing, 6350 feet). A large column test propagated on this layer (ECTP 23), while a small column test collapsed (CTM 20 SC). Test on a NW-facing slope of similar elevation did not propagate in tests there.
• the 2/1 crust is present to at least 7400 feet; however it is thin (1+ cm) and breaks underfoot above about 6500 feet. It's supportive if not teeth chattering hard at low elevations, which made for a loud and sometimes fast exit through the bush and open creekbeds below about 5000 feet. 

Based on our observations, we skinned and skied slopes up to 35 degrees, with short pitches of steeper terrain.