AvCan was right.

Turns out the best riding today was in sheltered, low angle terrain and slabs were reactive - who knew!? After a a very windy ski, we changed our slope aspect to seek more shelter terrain and were treated with pockets of deep powder lower in the trees and nice soft riding conditions in the upper extent of treeline. We travelled on ridges and avoided steep slopes. The wind was really howling today and hard to tell how much snow was falling vs being transported. Hand shear tests were resulting in block collapsing under its own weight, shooting cracks were identified on steep slopes in treeline and a test slope did release in treeline as well.