Soft Snow: Good and Bad

Spring is almost here, and that means soft snow. That's both good and bad.

When I rode in softer snow the other morning, I had some extra confidence to let my speed rip. In a wide open, deserted set of runs, I worked on getting comfortable with some speed--or at least what felt like speed. That was good.

But after a while, the bad side of softer snow was obvious. It grabbed my board, especially on easier trails. On occasion, it felt as if I was somehow sliding on my board's leash. So too much of a good thing can be, in fact, a bad thing.

It's possible to avoid some of that trouble by sticking to the shadows, where the snow may be harder, and thus faster. But riding "in the dark" is not nearly as enjoyable as being out in the full daylight.