Wind slabs and blowing snow on Donner pass

Our party targeted a northern low angle slope on the leeward side of a ridge, easy to see it was a wind affected area.  We observed blowing snow on ridge lines and active wind loading on leeward areas. CT showed a variety of sudden/ resistent planar breaks through a series of wind slabs. No propagation was observed with larger column tests. Resistance tests showed a "right side up" snow pack gradually becoming more firm, from fist at the surface to pencil above crust. 81cm down from the surface was the 12/13 rain crust.