On Feb. 11, 2006 as I skied into Green Lakes (near Mt. Bachelor, Bend, Oregon) a cornice on the bare ridge above caught my eye. In spite of the obvious safety concern, I climbed the steep slope and inspected the cornice, first from the outside and then from the inside, spending about 2 hours inside in passageways that ranged from about 9' high to places I had to crawl through on my belly. It was so incredible that I returned the following day in better lighting conditions to take more photos. When the photos were shown to a friend on the local Search & Rescue team, his comment was that had there been a problem, it would have been a body recovery, not a search & rescue... http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/049/61319427_ouDUy-Ti.jpg http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/gallery/1302855_8e94e/ 2006-03-24T05:40:37Z Copyright 2009, the copyright holder of each photograph. Some portions copyright SmugMug. All rights reserved. SmugMug <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319296_UaSLp" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/01/61319296_UaSLp-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T15:07:31Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/01/61319296_UaSLp-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319303_tBUdp" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/02/61319303_tBUdp-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T14:12:20Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/02/61319303_tBUdp-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319310_ZuDep" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/03/61319310_ZuDep-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T14:17:33Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/03/61319310_ZuDep-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319318_8eYrD" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/82/61319318_8eYrD-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T14:18:44Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/82/61319318_8eYrD-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319339_UYMsP" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/26/61319339_UYMsP-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T14:38:36Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/26/61319339_UYMsP-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319349_meUfz" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/30/61319349_meUfz-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T13:53:15Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/30/61319349_meUfz-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319360_4uy7F" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/83/61319360_4uy7F-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T14:38:23Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/83/61319360_4uy7F-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319369_n7ccD" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/72/61319369_n7ccD-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T15:43:57Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/72/61319369_n7ccD-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319381_SsMb8" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/167/61319381_SsMb8-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T13:54:16Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/167/61319381_SsMb8-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319393_yo8MD" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/180/61319393_yo8MD-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-06-06T15:48:05Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/180/61319393_yo8MD-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319400_aZCtx" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/152/61319400_aZCtx-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-06-06T16:00:22Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/152/61319400_aZCtx-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319405_YLzCT" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/182/61319405_YLzCT-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-06-07T04:25:36Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/182/61319405_YLzCT-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319413_3Sr6b" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/138/61319413_3Sr6b-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-06-07T04:24:52Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/138/61319413_3Sr6b-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319427_ouDUy" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/049/61319427_ouDUy-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-02-21T08:53:47Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/049/61319427_ouDUy-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319433_HnTaC" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/20/61319433_HnTaC-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-06-06T15:38:56Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/20/61319433_HnTaC-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319443_wHGMj" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/161/61319443_wHGMj-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-06-06T16:01:26Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/161/61319443_wHGMj-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319449_pf4FB" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/190/61319449_pf4FB-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-06-06T15:47:36Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/190/61319449_pf4FB-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319463_sHVVB" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/87/61319463_sHVVB-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-06-06T15:49:03Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/87/61319463_sHVVB-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319472_P8KC2" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/89/61319472_P8KC2-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T14:09:29Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/89/61319472_P8KC2-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319485_QtvHn" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/92/61319485_QtvHn-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T15:09:55Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/92/61319485_QtvHn-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319497_yRHuJ" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/253/61319497_yRHuJ-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T14:07:37Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/253/61319497_yRHuJ-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319506_R3qzt" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/271/61319506_R3qzt-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T14:21:09Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/271/61319506_R3qzt-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319511_tu5H4" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/94/61319511_tu5H4-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T14:03:23Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/94/61319511_tu5H4-Th.jpg <p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com">Bill Arras</a> </p><p><a href="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/1302855_8e94e#61319521_MvC6j" title="Bill Arras' photo"><img src="http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/001/61319521_MvC6j-Th.jpg" width="150" height="113" alt="Bill Arras' photo" title="Bill Arras' photo" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-24T14:10:05Z Bill Arras http://balloonbill.smugmug.com http://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Zoos/Cool-Cornice-February-2006/001/61319521_MvC6j-Th.jpg