[This post was written in early February 2013]
Eskimos are said to have many names for snow. Whether this is true or a hoax, I know that
skiers, especially New England Skiers recognize and appreciate the many
varieties of snow and snow pack.
These can range from powder to blue ice, and include conditions such as
corduroy, fluff on rough, hard pack, really hard pack, ice, corn, grapple, packed powder, slush, crud, cement, thin
cover, and artificial. Powder and packed
powder is rare this winter, as we had only two big snow storms to date. The norm has been thin cover on the closed
trails (or soon to be closed), corduroy in the morning on slopes where snow was
made, and very hard pack and ice on the remaining slopes.
Two Saturdays ago when I was skiing at my nearby ski resort,
Berkshire East, I came to fully
appreciate the nuances of the art of snow making and the
artificial snow varieties. We were
experiencing a series of very cold days and nights. It was a sunny cold day of 5 degrees (F) with
low humidity. This was a great
temperature for snowmaking. On a
less skied black then blue hill, there were five snow makers blasting away,
kept on from the early morning. The run
Minnie Dole is a little tucked away, next to the premier hill, Competition. It has a steep curve at the top that joins Competition
and then darts back into the woods and wends its way to the bottom of the hill
for a 1000 ft vertical drop in the classic New England fashion. At each of the snow making zones, there was
an oasis of artificial powder.
Unlike many of my previous experiences, the artificial snow
was dry and light. It was not sticky and
had fallen to a depth of about six inches.
And, because it was dry, it did not stick or freeze on goggles when I
was passing through. There was no
Styrofoam squeaking sound. It was akin
to frozen sand. When blocking out the noise, I imagined powder during a
snowstorm.
I made laps up and down the hill. During this time I was the only one who dared
to venture to this noisy snowy run complete with a series of five powder
oases. As I approached each snow oasis, I
started making about 12 linked turns and got that floating feeling. It was a special New England skiing treat.
Unfortunately, the following Wednesday, it was 56 degrees
and it rained hard for hours…..But, the temperature on Thursday got colder, and
snow making helped the resort recovered for the next weekend. I anxiously await either natural snow or
when the conditions are once right again for a perfect artificial powder day.
What do you think about artificial snow?
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