Reactive Test slope at Incline Lake Peak

We dug a simple hand pit of about 4 ft of depth on a rollover of 32-34 degrees on an open slope about 250 vertical feet from the summit of Incline Peak. We observed a soft surface layer and increasing firmness with depth. While stepping toward snow pit on the steep slope beside a tree well, a shooting crack from the ski triggered a small surface slide in the slope as seen in photo. Jumping on the slope above test pit yielded similar results, a release at today's new snow interface about 4 inches deep. While skiing slopes of similar slope angle, these same top few inches tended to sluff.