I thought the same thing.
Now, I've learned of snow doughnuts.
A hole, Owly... A hole...
I don't have a goddamned snow doughnut! I've never even seen a snow doughnut!
I may have to try to recreate one. Soon, it'll be snow smashing time! I will have ample snow to try to recreate one.
I've made similar, but nothing quite like that. Yes, yes I do roll snow around by hand. I also make snow angels. I also build forts and snowmen. I love me some snow!
Now, I need a snow doughnut. I'm already trying to think of ways to recreate it.
It was NPR so it MUST be true.
Although I suspect it may be an old wives tale ... they have old wives in Maine, I heard about it on TV ... ask around before you spend an inordinate amount of time trying to recreate a pipe dream in prime snow smashing season.
If the worst possible situation happens, I've already come up with a couple of ways to possibly cheat and just recreate it visually - and not recreate the way nature makes 'em.
I'll probably spend like an hour dropping various balls of snow onto various slopes and give up. I'll then probably just use a spray bottle and some sort of tube. I'll probably try a few ways to see which one makes the most visually similar snow doughnut.
By that point, I'm quite likely to have gotten distracted by a squirrel, rabbit, or other furry woodland critter.
In my head, I can think of a few types of snow/conditions that'd make that possible. Finding those exact conditions is going to be problematic. I'll probably cheat.
And here I thought you were the master of all things snow!