It was a cold morning with temps in my car at 0530 at -10F and -16F when I returned at 0800. Snow surface was variable with either bulletproof and beat up crust, or soft snow on top of a breakable crust being the most common. Pic 1- Crust with soft decomposing snow on top and what appeared to be facet chains underneath at 7600' SW aspect. Pic 2- snow pit. Temp. gradient at surface was large. This decomposing snow- crust- NSF combination is what will likely make up our next problem layers.