[Gothmog]

But if we assume that Legolas ability to walk on snow depends on his agility, his skill to walk softly, then he have to walk VERY softly to stop the laws of physic to do their work. It's true that you can walk on some snow (for example snow where the top layer has melted in the sun and later frozen again) but this was very new snow. And if it was "walkable" for Legolas due to his lesser muscle mass and softer steps, why couldn't the hobbits do the same thing? They must be much lighter than the men, maybe lighter then Legolas too. Plus they have large feet which makes the pressure against the surface they walk on less (P=F/A, pressure equals the force divided by the surface area).

I, too, believe that elves have a different body build than men, but I find it hard to believe that that would make such a big difference. I think it's a combination of the fact that they're more graceful and light and some sort of "gift" elves have. A passive skill which makes them tread this earth lighter than normal, mortal beings. Maybe because their not wholly of this world, they are in some minor way half-divine creatures, especially those elves that dwelt or dwelles in the West.

It's going to be an interesting winter. A wave of broken bones will spread thorugh the Downs when the snow comes for real with everybody trying different ways of getting enough speed to run on the surface of the snow