Whumps and weak snow at Red Lake Peak

Headed to Red Lake Peak area today to monitor the persistent weak layer responsible for the Persistent Avalanche Problem. I stopped to check the snow at three different elevations.

At the lowest spot at 7600 feet we heard a large whumpf immediately after leaving the well travelled road and skinning onto untracked terrain. Cracks extended in front of and behind us. The crack in front of us was over 50 feet long and eventually headed into steeper terrain so we didn't follow its full length. A quick pit in this zone revealed very weak facets with a fairly strong slab on top. I got ECTP from the elbow at the top of the facets below the newer snow slab. I followed this up with PST and got 25/100 END in the facets below the slab. The whumpfs we heard in this area where easily the loudest and scariest I've heard this season. 

In an off trail meadow at 8100 feet I heard a single whumpf. Using poles as probes, the snow here was quite weak with less of a slab above the facets than at the lower area. 

Visibiliity decreased climbing up the ridge as we entered the low clouds and my highpoint was 9000 feet. In a more wind impacted area, I dug another pit and found the snow to be 110 cm deep with a different structure than I had observed lower. The obvious weak facets from lower were much less obvious and the layers were generally less weak. I got ECTP from the shoulder at the base of the storm snow. There was a distinct weak layer here but it was relatively thin and in the poor light I couldn't identify the grain forms. 

The upper reaches of Red Lake Peak were mostly hidden in the clouds. In my few glimpses I couldn't see evidence of recent avalanche activity on the steep face. Based on the lower third or so I could see coverage remains thin. 

Photo 1: Crack extending in front of my ski.

Photo 2: ECTP 27 with weak layer highlighted in pit wall. 

Photo 3: Very limited visibility at my highpoint.