Snow cornice Snow cornice A snow cornice or simply cornice (from the Italian cornice meaning "ledge") is an overhanging edge of snow on a ridge or the crest of a mountain and along the sides of gullies. They form by wind blowing snow over sharp terrain breaks (e.g. the crest of the mountain) where it attaches and builds out horizontally. This build-up is most common on the steeper and leeward sides of mountains. Cornices are extremely dangerous and travelling above or below them should be avoided. When a cornice "collapses", it breaks in from the cornice to the top of the peak;
East Snow Mountain Falls Cascade Lakes, near Soda Springs. East Snow Mountain Falls East Snow Mountain Falls is a seasonal waterfall in the Sierra Nevada in Placer County, California. At , it is the second tallest measured waterfall in California after Yosemite Falls. The falls are a long cascade consisting of dozens of smaller drops. Due to the small size of its drainage basin, the falls usually flow only from December through July. The falls occur on an unnamed stream on the eastern face of Snow Mountain, which drains into the Royal Gorge of the North Fork American River. They are accessed by a