Snow cornice even being on the snow on top of rock exposes the alpinist to hazard in this situation. The best practice in mountaineering is to stay far enough back from the edge so as not to be able to see the drop, as an approximate metric of exposure. In avalanche safety, cornices are a high avalanche danger as they often break and trigger larger avalanches that permeate several snow layers. Cornices are particularly vulnerable to collapse during periods of solar warming. Snow cornice A snow cornice or simply cornice (from the Italian cornice meaning "ledge") is an overhanging edge of snow
Snow Mountain Wilderness a food source for the black-tailed deer. Rare native plants include Sonoma manzanita ("Arctostaphylos canescens ssp. sonomensis") on Snow Mountain East, on St John's Mountain is the endemic annual herb bentflower fiddleneck ("Amsinckia lunaris"). Other wildlife include black bear, mountain lion, spotted owl and game birds like California quail, sooty grouse and bandtailed pigeon. Activities in the wilderness include day hiking, backpacking, skiing, fishing and horseback riding. The Forest Service encourages the practice of Leave No Trace principles of outdoor travel to minimize human impact on the environment. There are of maintained trails and of unmaintained trails. Eight trailheads provide