Running on hard-packed snow

I know, I’ve been complaining about having to run on snowy roads in winter and I’ve been telling you how treacherous it can get. While I haven’t changed my mind about slick roadways, I want to talk about running on hard-packed snow. For a year or so, while there’s snow on the ground, Park City now grooms the portion of our course that follows McLeod Creek. Running on that soft ribbon of white stuff is not just great, it’s enchanting. Some runners like dirt trails and others sand as an alternative to the punishing asphalt or concrete. Snow seems to me as some sort of luxury. Sometimes, we get on that trail after it’s just been groomed and wow, we’re flying on “corduroy!” The packed snow, a great shock absorber, is gentle on our joints and it feels as if for one mile or so, we truly were in the midst of some wild country. This is the exquisite side of running on snow. If like us, you’re addicted to running or walking, what's your favorite surface?