We toured up to 7500' in the northern Wallowas and experience widespread whumping. On a northern aspect and 28 degree slope angle, we dug 2 pits about 5 meters apart. In the first pit the snow depth was 125 cm, had an ECTP18 with a Q2 shear 65 cm down on the winter solstice crust. Also had a ECTP26 down 35 cm , this failure was a recent wind slab.
The 2nd pit had a snow depth of 75 cm, lots of variability out there with numerous wind load pockets. In this pit we tried to do a CT; as we cut the back of the column it failed on a crust layer further down at 50 cm. We did a 2nd CT and had a failure at 13.
Both pits presented an upside down snowpack; heavier, denser snow on top and large sugar facets on the bottom, with 3 crusts in between. We also were experiencing a S -SW moderate to strong wind all day that was easily transporting snow and scouring the snow surface. After these results and the widespread whumping and a couple shooting cracks it was time to tuck our tails between our legs and low angle bangle it out of there. The snow pack was very reactive in the zone we were in today, the added weight of the widespread wind loading combined with the added weight of a rider appears to be too much for the snow pack to handle. Be safe out and choose your terrain wisely.