As a card-carrying member of the Church of Snow Scientology, I pride (and to some extent challenge) myself on finding the best conditions. When I was younger and less cagey, I chose the line preference first. But now that I have morphed into an Aging Ski Bum, the first question I asked myself before each freeride descent is “Where will the snow ski best?”
Within the same zone, you can encounter a variety of snow conditions based on which way the terrain is facing. Identifying and adjusting (sometimes just a little bit) the slope’s aspect can be the difference between enjoying good snow and scoring great snow. The following recipes are applicable in the Northern Hemisphere.
Here is a great example of a little seam down a gully that made the difference between softer vs firmer snow. As a golden rule, when skiing south-facing slopes, the right side softens earlier (then goes back into the shade and refreezes), while the left side softens up in the afternoon. The difference between south, southeast and southwest exposures can be pivotal for those seeking premium corn harvests.
Often times if you allow someone else to ski first, you can assess conditions and make some slight tweaks to maximize snow quality for the descent. After watching a friend drop in at the home hill, I noticed the powder was warming up a wee bit and small surface rollers were forming. So I traversed skier’s right, which had just a bit more shade/less direct sun and was rewarded with some real nice powder. You gotta be flexible in this business!
While powder hunting, most of the time the due-north slopes have the deepest snow (unless there was a semi-rare wind event blowing up the slope). On days when the snow is all time, I’ll laser focus on the most north-facing slopes, especially in the afternoon when the other aspects start to settle out a bit. Additionally, true-north-facing terrain holds powder the longest, but you knew that already.
And there you have it, some additional things to ponder before you drop into your next off-piste line. Prego!