Wet Loose Avalanches and Cornice Failures in Johnson Canyon

Driving up to Johnson Canyon today, I saw several new cornice collapses and wet loose avalanches on Donner Peak that must have happened yesterday afternoon. I could also see creeks flowing and water pouring out of the snow banks on the side of the road.

It was already soft and wet when I stepped onto the snow at Johnson Canyon. I sank into shin-deep wet snow even when standing in snowmobile tracks from yesterday. I continued up an S-facing ridge, where my skis sank several inches into wet snow at 11 am. 

Ski kicks above steep NE-E-SE facing test slopes off the ridge triggered ski width wide wet loose avalanches 3-4 inches deep between 11 am and noon. I also saw several cornice failures along this ridge that looked like they happened between yesterday afternoon and this morning. The cornice pieces that fell on the slope were big enough to crush a person. Water was streaming off the underside of the remaining cornices, and I could see cracks on the ridge behind the cornices. I did not approach these cornices and stayed on lower-angle slopes. The snow was wet and mushy everywhere I went during my tour. I departed the area at noon.