Basal facet weak layer N. face Red Cone Bowl

Toured up to Red Cone Bowl from Tamarack.  No signs of current instability.  Warm day, some clouds, surface snow moist along much of the approach except for north facing about 9,500'.  Test pit done ~100ft below the ridgeline on the north slope of Red Cone bowl.  See attached profile and video demosnstrating basal facets, which could definitely be concerning with a new significant snow load.  Several CT tests failed upon isolation on this basal layer, but ECT test produced no results.  These basal facets are not very uniform, and vary from frozen together to much less cohesive.  A propogation saw test was done and resulted in failure to the end with 45/100 cut.  While some of these results are concerning, they have to be taken together with all of the other information available.  

Some windboard surfaces on the north face were quite firm (didn't want to lose an edge!)  Further down, pockets of facets provided for a nice turn here and there.