local road trips put your best foot forward an organized college life
local road trips put your best foot forward an organized college life
local road trips put your best foot forward an organized college life
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Machine-made snow will never be<br />
as light <strong>an</strong>d powdery as natural snow.<br />
~Dyl<strong>an</strong> Brooks<br />
Dyl<strong>an</strong> Brooks, 22-year-old Saddleback College student<br />
<strong>an</strong>d experienced snowboarder says: “ The main reason<br />
for this is that natural snow is a very small crystallized<br />
water droplet that formed at high altitudes <strong>an</strong>d had time<br />
to exp<strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong>d freeze before it fell to the ground. Machine-made<br />
snow is essentially sleet.”<br />
Because the water is force fed through a hose into<br />
a f<strong>an</strong>, blowing freezing air, there isn’t enough time<br />
for proper snow to form. “ The water that comes out<br />
of the jets freezes inst<strong>an</strong>tly <strong>an</strong>d forms a tiny chunk of<br />
ice,”Brooks describes. I c<strong>an</strong> relate to his conclusions<br />
because he, <strong>an</strong>d I, have both ridden on the same snow<br />
in similar conditions. Until recently this has never been<br />
a concern for either of us, as Mammoth Mountain was<br />
our favorite location. Fresh powder has always been a<br />
const<strong>an</strong>t, during winter. After last years record <strong>an</strong>nual<br />
snowfall, 661.5 inches, that shattered a 41 year record. It<br />
seems seasons like that are seldom seen.<br />
Others seem to share a different opinion about these<br />
types of snow. Nicole Martinez is a freshm<strong>an</strong> at Saddleback<br />
<strong>an</strong>d a fairly experienced snowboarder with two<br />
years of riding under her belt. “Real snow is puffier <strong>an</strong>d<br />
softer because of the snowflake structure. Fake snow<br />
is packed down <strong>an</strong>d groomed by those machines. Personally,<br />
as a beginner at snowboarding, when I tried to<br />
snowboard on fresh powder my board s<strong>an</strong>k in, stopped<br />
me completely, <strong>an</strong>d almost sprained my <strong>an</strong>kle. I was<br />
stuck there for a couple minutes. The fake stuff worked<br />
for me though,” she stated.<br />
I, myself, prefer to ride on natural snow m<strong>an</strong>-made<br />
snow is chunky, <strong>an</strong>d icy. Although fresh snow maybe<br />
me for the more experienced, it is softer to fall on. Both<br />
mountain r<strong>an</strong>ges offer enjoyable resorts, with parks <strong>an</strong>d<br />
trails, perfect for beginners <strong>an</strong>d the adv<strong>an</strong>ced. Since we<br />
c<strong>an</strong>’t always rely on winters like 2011, I’ll be waiting to<br />
ride Mother Nature’s bounty: fresh powder!<br />
Or<strong>an</strong>ge Appeal spring 2012 29
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