Sensitive wind slabs above Skiumah Lake

We climbed above Skiumah Lake to monitor for wind slab formation.  We found thicker drifts extending further down in elevation than expected.

• 1" to 2" of new snow accumulated mid-day above 5,000'
• Strong to extreme wind gusts with intense blowing snow above the lake
• We found drifts up to 2 feet thick, generally 4" to 8" thick on average on cross-loaded terrain features above 5,000'.  Drifts readily produced shooting cracks and small collapses.
• We intentionally triggered several wind slabs, D1 in size, at mid elevations. Slides were breaking at or just above the most recent rain crust.
• We could easily identify and avoid drifted areas by textural clues, feeling deeper drifts, and a color distinction between the bluish wind scoured rain crust and white wind drifts. We chose to avoid wind loaded terrain in bigger or more consequential terrain features. 
• The freezing level was ~4,500'.  Below that, the snowpack was saturated and unfrozen, but appeared to be unreactive to wet avalanche concerns.