Avalanches, Shooting Cracks and Buried Surface Hoar on Tamarack

We did a short tour in the Proletariate area off of Mt. Rose Summit to check conditions. New snow amounts ranged from 35-75cm,  with localized areas reaching upwards of 100cm, although those were most likely from wind distribution. The clouds broke for a brief period in time and we were able to see a rather large natural avalanche @ about 9300' off of a NE ridge. The avalanche was 2 ft deep with a crown 150ft wide and a debris pile about 300 ft long. Although we did not watch it initiate, its safe to assume it was a fresh wind load most likely triggered from a cornice release. Winds were constant all day and fresh slab formation was in season. Shooting cracks were a common accurance as well.

We dug a pit on a NE aspect @ 9180' which revealed 65cm new snow, sitting ontop of a very distinguished buried surface hoar layer. Under the surface hoar was rounds and rounding facets, with a 50cm layer of facets close to the ground. Our total snow depth was 189cm. We performed multiple column tests to see how the surface hoar may have been reacting, but to our surprise we did not get any failures on the buired surface hoar. Our only consitant failures was within the storm snow down about 55cm. We had consistent easy shears, and ECTP's.