Hot Mashed Pa-TAY-toes, Frozen Mashed Pa-TAH-toes

It’s been said that an expert skier is someone who can ski all snow, all terrain. Well, yesterday I got a lesson in the “all snow” part of that.

In the afternoon, I rode in mashed potatoes–choppy, slushy, wet snow, what we call “mashed potatoes.” It was fun in its own way, conducive to dancing rather than powering your way down the run. It was THISCLOSE to being too warm. I had to open the pit zips on my coat and pants. Fortunately, the wax on the board held, and did not smear.

I wanted to experience how the snow changes when the temperature drops. So I did some night riding. And boy did I get an experience! Night riding on soft snow is great. Night riding on hard snow? Hmmm. Let me think about that.

Mashed potatoes can be fun. Frozen mashed potatoes can be … well, work. It’s like driving your car over frozen mud.

Bump. Bump. Bump. Rattle, rattle, rattle.

I made adjustments, though right now I’m not sure I can tell you what those adjustments were, except for making more use of traverses, especially on the steeper runs. One benefit of the frozen potatoes: I didn’t have to concentrate so much on finishing off the turn on the steeps. It just happened.

It also pays to pay more attention to the terrain, and anticipate frozen “waves” in the snow.