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There are two approaches to this kind of thing. You can investigate it scientifically or you can write a Warren Zevon song about it. I was thinking it looked more like an emergent snowman than a headless one. Actually, that thought occurred to me too, like Michaelangelo's unfinished sculptures carving themselves out of the stone. Or a snow ducky? My moose! Don't hurt my moose!!! I promise it wasn't him. Wow, beautiful picture. I suspect some young lovers ascended the mountain in a previous snow (before the fresh one covered their tracks). They decided to leave a monument to their love on the summit-thus the snowman.
As for the missing head-I propose either they got cold, saw a bear and ran, didn't see a bear and were EATEN(!), or decided they would roll the head home as a souvenir. What do you think? ;-) and by the way... you sound like you have GREAT tracking skills! He looks like he's swimming in snow! Maybe he has a head, is so huge that his legs are hidden in the snow?

I'm jealous of your snow: ours keeps melting. I went fly fishing yesterday and the stream is actually blown out worse than during ice-out in late may =(

no trout for joo

Emily, your photos are beautiful, and so is your writing. Does singing Broadway tunes really scare away bears? Emily
You're wonderfully brave for taking off on your own like that, or maybe where you live it's safer? I really admire your sense of direction seeing as I'm somewhat challenged in that department.
I love your writings. If you ever write a book, let me know.
Maybe the snowman was an unfinished work of art? Artist got cold and hungry? Lavine miraculously produced a big snowball?
Anyway, put us out of our misery. You're so good at deducing who's been where, can you tell us your theory please? Gee, it's that time of the year again already? Oh, California is way too warm for me.

Pretty pics.

It's not headless, it's buttless! It used to be an ordinary three-part snowman but then it kept snowing and snowing and eventually the bottom part disappeared, leaving only the top two showing above the snowdrifts. Ah, but I know how deep the snow was there. I checked to be sure, and then I tried to make him a head, but the fresh snow was too dry. ...Although, who's to say snowmen couldn't come into the world head first? It's quite possible the bottom hadn't been born yet (although this would be a difficult way to make a snowman, from top to bottom). A faceless, bottomless snowman! It's definitely a butt. No nose, mouth. He was a breech birth!