Hard snow makes skiing harder

Nothing varies more than snow quality and its impact on the way we feel about skiing. When the snow turns from powder to hard-packed and then becomes hard snow, it contributes to helping define the notion of bad conditions in the Rockies Mountains, where most of us are used to gliding on a silky surface and having to work very little in order to feel great. Last week, our mountain conditions transitioned to that quality after more than two weeks without any precipitations. At that point, skiing on steep, natural terrain, out of impeccably groomed runs, becomes both trickier and far less fun, as the surface is much harder, goes faster, is filled with imperfections of all kinds and leaves absolutely no room for operator errors like the tiniest moment without concentration that will make you catch an edge and send you to a very punishing fall with nasty consequences. That’s precisely the moment when good skiing becomes a perfect dosage between nimbleness, attention and relaxation. This mixture is not only difficult to reach, but hard to keep up for any long period of time. It’s also a guaranteed feeling of elation as long as it can be maintained without a crash or a host of mistakes and near misses. Because of that, it can also be a source of enormous satisfaction. What are your preferred snow conditions?