Lib communes with nature (volcano)

Bold is mine:

Mount St. Helens, Washington (CNN) -- A climber who fell into the crater of Mount St. Helens volcano on Monday has been found dead, an official said Tuesday.

Bohlig, of Kelso, Washington, was at the edge of the volcano's crater Monday when the cornice on which he was standing crumbled, causing him to plunge 1,500 feet down its ice- and rock-covered inner wall, authorities said.

Warnings about unstable cornices on the crater rim are posted, according to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest Web site.

Fellow climber Scott Salkovics told CNN affiliate KGW that Bohlig had handed his camera to another climber and was about to pose for a picture with Mount Rainier in the background when he turned around and took a final step on the cornice.

"Boom, it busted off and I saw him clawing for the edge with a startled look on his face, and then he disappeared," Salkovics told KGW. More here:

Yes, a "startled look" cuz ... WHAAAA, how can this happink?

Well, at least I found out what the hell a cornice is.

In climbing, a cornice is an overhanging edge of snow on a ridge or the crest of a mountain. They form by wind blowing snow over the crest of the mountain, so they often form on the leeward sides of mountains. Cornices are extremely dangerous and traveling above or below them should be avoided.

Found it at J-Walk: