Wind transport, shooting cracks and test slope results on Andesite Peak

Our group decided to stick to sheltered terrain closer to the trailhead on Andesite in anticipation of the forecasted storm. What started as a windy, partly cloudy morning quickly turned into strong winds accompanied with heavy snowfall. Accumulation rates exceeded 1" an hour for the morning before tapering off around 1pm. Winds remainded strong and we witnessed moderate amounts of blowing snow in our immediate area along the ridge top. We found a small test slope lee to the prevailing winds to see the reactivity of the freshly formed windslabs. Our test came conclusive with shooting cracks as I approached the slope, and a small release on the first hard stomp. This slab was 8-12" thick and very touchy. We found low angle, sheltered terrain that harbored freshly fallen storm snow on top of the old faceted surface snow which provided us with great ski quality in safe terrain.