I always love someone else's opinion. I see what you mean about the lack of detail but if the surrounding area looks just like it has been filled with a bucket tool and complete white then I don't feel like I accomplished much. At the same time, as you said, the first map, where it is much whiter, things look much more snowy and icy like. I'll see about blurring and opacing (I'm sure that's a word, right. Right?) the second picture and have a look at how it looks.