Skiing For Fun

Newcomers to skiing are often bewildered and frustrated by the changing condition of snow – it can vary from day to day. Just when you’ve gotten used to one kind of snow, you run into crud or ice! You’ll get a handle on how to ski on different types off snow soon enough; in fact, it is part of the fun of learning to ski!

The texture of snow depends on weather and how heavily the area is used by skiers. The colder the weather, the drier and less dense the snow will be; and vice versa. Snow will become denser the longer it stays on the ground – and when older snow is heavily traveled, it will become icy as skiers cause snow to melt and refreeze.

Here are a few snow conditions you are likely to see throughout the season:

Powder

This is the favorite of skiers; fresh, soft, untrammeled snow. Skiing through powder is the optimal skiing experience and some will go to extraordinary lengths to find powder. Beginners may find themselves falling down a lot in powder, since it requires a different technique. However, the snow is very soft, so don’t worry. You need to keep your weight evenly distributed for skiing on powder; excess pressure will cause you to sink. You need to move your center of gravity backwards to ski on powder.

Crud
Crud is snow that has been used by other skiers. The trail will turn into alternating packed and soft snow, meaning that you must constantly change your approach as you do down the slope. This can be fun, but is a bit of a challenge. You should keep knees bent to deal with packed snow and stay alert of what’s coming up.

Crust

This is snow with a hard surface over powder. This is caused by sunlight melting the top layer of snow and subsequent refreezing. Hard crusts are not really a problem – skiers will stay on top. However, softer crust can break and is very challenging to ski on. Hard and soft crust in patches can be very tricky and lead to a lot of falls.

Ice

Ice is the most difficult and least fun. It is easy to slip and fall – try to avoid icy patches if possible; you can spot them since they have a different appearance. If you will be going over an icy patch, stay alert and flatten your skis.

Slush

This is soft, wet snow. This is heavier snow, so it will require more effort to turn. Gentle turns will work better than sharp ones; these can cause you to get caught and fall. Beginners should probably avoid trying to ski on slush.