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
Pine Mountain Ridge (California) Pine Mountain Ridge (California) Pine Mountain Ridge (or simply Pine Mountain) is a massif of the Transverse Ranges located in northern Ventura County, and entirely within the Los Padres National Forest. The ridge is a large block of Matilija Sandstone, and reaches some of the highest elevations in the southern Transverse Ranges. The north slope of the ridge is part of the Sespe Wilderness. Major peaks on the ridge include, from west to east, Reyes Peak, Haddock Peak, and Thorn Point. The ridge is located in the California montane chaparral and woodlands ecoregion. Lower slopes are dominated by chaparral, while