Meaning & use
first tracks
Last updated
Meaning
phrasepluralinformal
The first ski runs made on fresh snow, especially when a skier is among the first to go down after a snowfall.
Grammar: Always plural; used with the or without an article, as in 'get first tracks'.
Patterns
- get first tracks
- ski first tracks
- first tracks on the mountain
We woke up early to get first tracks after the overnight snowfall.
Skiing first tracks through fresh powder is an amazing feeling.
The resort opens at 8 a.m., so you can be among the first to make first tracks.
Common combinations
- get first tracks
- If you want to get first tracks, you need to be on the lift at opening.
- ski first tracks
- They skied first tracks down the untouched slope.
- first tracks on the mountain
- The snow was perfect, and we had first tracks on the mountain.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fresh tracks
- Similar, but fresh tracks can refer to any new tracks, while first tracks specifically means being among the first to ski them.
- powder run
- A powder run is a run in deep, light snow; first tracks emphasizes being first, not the snow type.
Commonly confused: first tracks or first track?
first tracks vs first track
First track usually means the first song on an album; first tracks is the skiing phrase.
Practice
When do skiers usually want to get first tracks?
Choose one answer.
First tracks are made on fresh snow, so skiers get up early after a snowfall. The other options describe times when there is no fresh snow or no skiing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “first tracks”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.