My World: Under the Cornice

[Jim Dockery]

We climbed up under this snow overhang while back-country skiing in Washington's North Cascades. Cornices form when wind driven snow builds up on ridges. They can be very dangerous, especially in the spring when they melt and fall causing avalanches, but this one was frozen solid and safe.

Under the Cornice​

 

[Asher Kelman]

Lighting is perfect! Is this with flash or what?

Very impressive and serious!

How does one know it really is frozen enough!

Asher

 

[Antonio Correia]

The same question Asher did.

In this image we do not have any sense of scale... was this during day time ? Red filter perhaps for the blue sky... or just post production in LR or so ?...

It looks like pastry...

 

[Jim Dockery]

Natural light - interesting reflection off the slope below, with strong backlight as you can see. It was quite dramatic when we approached it. Normally I steer clear of these things (two friends have died in recent years stepping through them from above when going close to the edge looking at the view) but this day was quite cold, and this one wasn't too big, or overhanging very far (they can be 30-50 ft. high in places). Here is a shot of my buddy Eric, who is 6'4", as he gains the ridge just past it. BTW, the slopes below here yielded some of the best powder skiing of the season for us.

Eric & Cornice​

 

[Asher Kelman]

Jim,

OMG, I am so sorry about the loss of the two pals to these unstable ice-snow devil-accretions! How close were you? Was this reported in the newspapers and online?

First time I have heard of them. Are they found only on open mountains or do they occur on groomed slopes in ski resorts too?

Asher

 

[Jim Dockery]

Asher, they can and do form on ridges anywhere there is snow and wind. Ski patrol regularly blasts them with dynamite as part of avalanche control, so they don't build up too large there.

Here are some links to one of my main web boards telling about my friend Franklin who died in 2014:

The climb

The Fall

Memorial photos

 

[Jim Dockery]

Another cornice - easy to pass and not dangerous.

Cornice near Stevens Pass, WA​

 

[Antonio Correia]

beautifull !

 

[fahim mohammed]

Super, Jim.
Best.

We climbed up under this snow overhang while back-country skiing in Washington's North Cascades. Cornices form when wind driven snow builds up on ridges. They can be very dangerous, especially in the spring when they melt and fall causing avalanches, but this one was frozen solid and safe.

Under the Cornice​