I've given you the history of Mauna Kea, now I'll submit a little about the terrain. When there's decent snowfall (has to get down to the 9,000 - 9'500 elevation), one can find a type of "hardpack" snow. It's not ice, but the winds make the moisture laden snow a style all its own. I've never experienced anything like it in the Rockies. One should have sharpened edges for turns are more tricky and need to be deliberate. As far as falling; mostly it will be a soft landing as the ground underneath is predominantly cinder. You'll generally notice any stray rocks jutting through the snow...BEWARE! ...landing on these (even small rocks) are very dangerous as they're jagged, not rounded and they'll tear right through your winter gear to you flesh. These rock upthrusts are rare, and as I mentioned, you'll be able to see them. The snow warms up once the tropical sun hits the surface making the snow into a spring "corn snow" type, but it's a lot more manageable...fun too! Temperatures can average in the mid-20's to mid-30's (when the sun hits you). Weather conditions can change quickly as small fronts can move in from out of nowhere....I've actually experienced a "white-out" which lasted for about 30 minutes. (The only thing I could do is attempt to point my ski tips downhill...wherever that was at times....you really couldn't see anything..barely even my skis. Yes, it can get dicey when something blows in...you don't know how long it will last. But back to this. In recent years the snowfall has been lacking and what we've been getting doesn't last long....so you have to hit the slopes of Mauna Kea ASAP. We hope this snowfall will improve...weather's a fickle thing in Hawaii...very unpredictable. I don't know of many people that have attempted the slopes of Mauna Loa (sister peak) @ about the same height elevation but more rounded. The few that have said it was really cold, windy, and the skiable snow coverage was lacking with plenty of rocks and debris...not even good for "rock skis." Access is clearly lacking on Mauna Loa and will entail plenty of high elevation hiking. The geography/geology might prove worth that.....bring plenty of water, food, protective clothing for that end....for skiing, I wouldn't recommend it. Dean Reinking, LPN