German ski resort stores snow under wood chip carpet

OBERSTDORF, Germany (Reuters) - Underneath a large pile of wood chips at a German ski resort in the Alps lies an unseasonable surprise: snow, packed away in preparation for the cross-country season.

The southern German town of Oberstdorf, which has hosted several Nordic World Ski Championships, is trying out this method of conserving snow for the first time and hopes to use it to begin covering the trails before the first snowfall.