snowboarding riding powder

SNOWMAKING? hard or soft?

You know how if you go snowboarding or skiing, and there are snow making machines.
Are the snows made from the machine soft like powder snow or is it hard?
or does it become more harder than fresh snow after people ride over the snow??
Whats the difference???
IS IT HARD OR SOFT????
Thanks. Best info = 10pts.

Its harder than regular snow because its not always completely frozen. theres alot of science involved in snow making. Natural snow is best. Probably always will be. Man mad snow isnt snow, its more like tiny ice crystals. Here is the best site I could find to show you what I cant explain.

http://www.home.eznet.net/~vraguso/Book_2/Snow.html

Snowboarding at Mt. Hood Meadows, Powder Day, March 8, 2009, Part 1