Packed Pow

[billski]

what about riders? I would say they are better powder packers than skiers...

Agree. I get lazy and use ski/skier as a catch-all category, rather than having to type two words! :razz:

 

[dmc]

That's my definition as well. As long as the groomed snow is smooth and buttery with little noise as you edge, it's packed powder in my book.

Powder packed by skier traffic or wind? Tracked out powder, crud, or powder bumps/moguls.

To me... As long as it sits packed on the surface and hasn't had a chance to warm up too much - it's packed powder...

No matter where it is or how it got there....

 

[dmc]

Agree. I get lazy and use ski/skier as a catch-all category, rather than having to type two words! :razz:

i understood... i do the same thing...

 

[ta&idaho]

Packed powder is skied and fresh that hasn't had a chance to do any freeze thaw....

That's my definition as well. As long as the groomed snow is smooth and buttery with little noise as you edge, it's packed powder in my book.

Powder packed by skier traffic or wind? Tracked out powder, crud, or powder bumps/moguls.

That definition only makes sense somewhere with horrible snow (no offense to your home mountains, which serve their purposes, but rarely powder of any form). For anywhere with good snow, what you're calling "packed powder" would include literally every groomed run (along with good portions of the non-groomed surfaces).

Maybe I'm just grumpy because I haven't been able to ski this year, but "smooth and buttery with little noise as you edge" doesn't convert a groomed run into packed powder. Once you've run a two-ton machine over a snowy surface, it ain't gonna be powder till it snows again.

 

[dmc]

That definition only makes sense somewhere with horrible snow (no offense to your home mountains, which serve their purposes, but rarely powder of any form). For anywhere with good snow, what you're calling "packed powder" would include literally every groomed run (along with good portions of the non-groomed surfaces).

Your being grumpy...
Even in Idaho the snow warms or changes and takes on different properties then when it first fell as powder... I would say my definition is from skiing a broad selection of ski areas all over the world...

And I do think if your groom 2 feet of fresh.. It turns into packed pow...

 

[ski_resort_observer]

On most resort snow reports:

PP or packed powder are trails that are ungroomed and packed by skiers/riders. It also can describe the overall conditions of the terrain.

Groomed are trails/slopes that have been machine groomed. When it's groomed there is no powder left, packed or otherwise.

 

[billski]

And even the wikipedia weighs in on this debate:

"
Groomed or corduroyPowder snow that has been compressed, either by means of a grooming machine or skier traffic. Because of the distinction, ski areas often use the term "machine groomed packed powder" or "skier packed powder," to differentiate between the two. This snow condition is favored by beginners and the majority of recreational skiers, in that it tends to be relatively forgiving, easy to turn upon, and requires less skill to negotiate than powder snow."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_skiing

 

[snafu]

Agree. I get lazy and use ski/skier as a catch-all category, rather than having to type two words! :razz:

I know, I just like to be a pain ...usually I don't say anything but this type of assumption can be a sign of early stage Mad River disease...