Our team toured up through the trees to 9040' and dug a snow pit on a SW facing aspect and slope at pit was 9 degrees.
Multiple snow pits showed there was a weak layer at about 30 Centimeters from surface. This layer fractured during once the shoulder strikes were used.
Weather was -2 degrees C, over cast skies with a light wind coming out of the west.
We rode conservatively and rode tree lines down and avoided steep open terrain.