I was surprised to hear that the Olympic course for women's 10k freestyle was "salted to firm-up the base". I have seen salt on sidewalks, and it just melts holes in the snow. I'm struggling to see how this helps.

Do they dust the snow with a fine powdered kind of salt, so it is more uniform?

I think the melted snow would sink down into the snowpack, but stay liquid above -17C. So now you've got slush permanently mixed-in.

It seems crazy!