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Does the cold stop you?

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Author	Post
katbennett Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 14, 2001 Posts: 680 Location:Madison, NH	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 3:00 AM GMT OK, the weather forecasters are screaming that if you step foot outside you will freeze instantly on the spot. Do you cancel your ski plans? I went to Sunday River today with a friend who is also in the ski biz. It was our day off so we were going ahead with our plans come hell or ... -3 temperatures. We skied all day and it was awesome. I had so many layers on I couldn't turn my head. But it was a beautiful, sunny, albeit frigid day. How many of you would've gone skiing today if you could've? I thought I was crazy when I stepped outside but I can tell you now that it was totally worth it and the hundreds of other people there today agreed (apparently there are a lot of us crazy midweek skiers out there). I also skiied at Waterville Valley yesterday and it was also pretty darn cold but again, great conditions. I dressed in more layers today at the River than yesterday in the Valley and it made a big difference. That and the foot warmers! I also tried these new wrist warmers. They are little velcro and fleece wrist bands that have a pocket you place a hand warmer in. I used them today but not yesterday and what a difference they made. I'll use them over hand warmers in the mitten or glove any day.

skirat Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Apr 26, 2004 Posts: 531 Location:	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 3:43 AM GMT i step outside and my nose hairs freeze, very uncomfy feeling

trackbiker Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 26, 2004 Posts: 1642 Location:Eastern PA	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 3:55 AM GMT I've skied several times at 0 and twice at -4 degrees. (one of the 0's was in NC believe it or not!) Like your experience, each of those trips was some of the best skiing that I ever had. Great conditions and EMPTY slopes. Just dress warm, cover all exposed skin, and have a great day of skiing. To quote one of my skiing partners who worked for several years at a ski area in Norway, "It is a WINTER sport for crying out loud!"

elcamino57 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 854 Location:Wilmington VT	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 6:48 AM GMT Quote: I've skied several times at 0 and twice at -4 degrees. (one of the 0's was in NC believe it or not!) Like your experience, each of those trips was some of the best skiing that I ever had. Great conditions and EMPTY slopes. Just dress warm, cover all exposed skin, and have a great day of skiing. To quote one of my skiing partners who worked for several years at a ski area in Norway, "It is a WINTER sport for crying out loud!" better days ahead, it can wait, you will not miss anything. I have been there done it in colder temps. It gets a little crazy, almost lost my ear before brain buckets. See what happens when you get stuck on a lift! But for all you diehard skiers and riders, don't know till you done it. Have fun!

Skileader Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 15, 2002 Posts: 1000 Location:Long Island N.Y.	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 8:10 AM GMT As trackbiker said "It's Winter". Everyone has been moaning about 50s and rain. Now your gonna moan about 0? Thousands in the industry, and other industries, do it every day, w/o thinking about it. Lift op, instructors, patrol, snowmaking. I'm headed to Whiteface this w/e, high 2 low -15 it's gonna be great. Anyone ever spent a w/e in a tent at -10 or colder? I read today about a water main break that had to be fixed, and a big fire in The Bronx. Now those guys must have been cold. __________ Bob P.

rocket21 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Sep 13, 2001 Posts: 8403 Location:USA	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 12:00 PM GMT I wish I didn't go yesterday...was -60 on top of Mad River Glen with the wind chill, I think -50 on top of the double (single was closed). Skied KMart in the afternoon, made the mistake of taking off my glove to take a photo...yowsah. __________ NewEnglandSkiHistory.com

Talisman Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 06, 2002 Posts: 961 Location:	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 12:36 PM GMT Minus digits alone won't cause me to stop skiing but minus digits and high winds will. Between lift closures and wearing many layers of clothesit often just ins't worth it. Snow conditions are another factor as I will be more eager to get punished by Jack Frost for fresh powder than refrozen boiler plate.

Betsy Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Sep 04, 2001 Posts: 1995 Location:Burlington Area, VT	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 1:09 PM GMT When I was younger, no. I would go out in any temp. Now that I'm getting older, I'm becoming more and more of a "fair weather" skier. I think part of it is is that I live near many ski areas, and can wake up in the morning and decide whether or not to go. I imagine many folks who have to travel far and make a weekend/vacation of it, think differently. I would imagine that they would have the mindset that, "I drove all the way up here, spent lots of $$, and I'm going to ski, no matter what".

manhattanskier Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 14, 2004 Posts: 448 Location:	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 1:16 PM GMT I would ski. You have to take it when you can get it especially in a year like this. A few weeks from now it could rain again so I am going to jump on good conditions when I can. My main problem is my wife who is still new to skiing. I defintely want to get her on the slopes this weekend as she has yet to ski this year. However, as she is still new to the sport I want it to be a positive experience for her. So I think I will take her but if she spends a fair amount of time in the lodge by the fireplace that will be ok with me.

moe Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Aug 14, 2003 Posts: 538 Location:Back to MA	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 1:34 PM GMT I have no problems with the cold at all. A few years back, I skied free at Wildcat on an absolutely brutal day. And what made it so great was that I was only 1 of 3 people there! And no, I've never had frost bite, or hypothermia. __________ Do not drink Pepsi, do not eat M&M's, because they are the tools of Babylon.

Bill29 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 19, 2002 Posts: 2414 Location:	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 1:56 PM GMT It's winter. This is New England. It gets cold in New England in the winter. Don't sweat the windchill (pun intended). TV people often take the lowest predicted temperature and the highest predicted wind speeds and tell you that's the windchill you will face. Since the temperature tends to rise during the day and the wind speed varies by the minute, you almost never face those exact conditions. Also, since windchill is the effect of a combination of temperature and wind speed on bare flesh, keep your clothes on when you're outside. If it's cold, bundle up. After all, we create our own windchill when we ski. Back in the early 1960s, when winters were cold, a bunch of us skied all day at Stowe. The day started off at 28 below zero and it was very windy. No one talked about windchill in those days so we didn't know how cold we were supposed to be. When we developed gray patches on our faces - the start of frost bite - we went into the base lodge until we thawed out, then went back to skiing. It's a cold-weather sport. Stop whining and get out there.

jb66 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jun 24, 2004 Posts: 1585 Location:	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 2:06 PM GMT 1) Layers- polypro as first 2) Hotronics 3) dry, wicking socks 4) neck gaiter 5) drink water Good to go!

the_hop Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Sep 06, 2001 Posts: 1602 Location:Groton, Ma	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 2:27 PM GMT Cold doesn't stop me. One of my all time favorite ski days wasa at 15 below. Only problem, the snow was so fine it was like skiing on sandpaper and I had to rewax several times. Wind will stop me. __________ Getting old is hell, but it is better than not getting old The older I get, the better I was!

Tree_Skier Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 21, 2002 Posts: 485 Location:	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 2:59 PM GMT I had planned to take my kids to mad river yesterday but decided it was going to be too cold for them. They were upset untill they saw what the temp actually was (-14 in West dover) at about 8 am.

JoshuaB Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 19, 2001 Posts: 2176 Location:Hudson, MA	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 3:08 PM GMT Kat, I realize the extreme cold hurts your business, but by insinuating some of us skiers are less hearty than you'd like isn't going to help. I've never tried to hide (on this board) that I'm a warm weather skier. I do most of my skiing early and late season. It's just my preference to avoid skiing during the coldest winter weather. Don't worry, I make up for it in March when there are even less people skiing. Also, no coaxing or helping hints to stay warm are going to get me out in this type of weather any more or change the ski habits I've had for all my adult life.

hammer Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Aug 11, 2004 Posts: 221 Location:Massachusetts	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 3:53 PM GMT If it were just me or maybe me and my son, I'd be OK with the cold. With a family of 4 to keep happy, though, so far I can only go out when the AM temps are around 10 degrees or higher. I dress in layers and the cold still bothers me a bit. Main thing that I do is take more breaks in the lodge.

Bkroon9175 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: May 25, 2003 Posts: 469 Location:Pembroke, MA	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 10:24 PM GMT We skied Tenney on Sunday. The stated temp was 9 below at the summit. It was cold. The ski patrol would not allow anyone on the lifts if they had any exposed skin. We dressed accordingly. Lots of layers. The ski day was reaaly quite good inspite of the temps. It was sunny and the 19 trails that Tenney had open were in excellent shape. We had the place to ourselves. I do wonder if Tenney will get the whole mountain open this year. It appears to be a another very slow start for the mountain this year. But the temps didnot and willnot stop us. We skied colder temps at Tremblant.

katbennett Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 14, 2001 Posts: 680 Location:Madison, NH	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 11:16 PM GMT Oh, I'm not insinuating anything. I'm married to a fair weather skier. I know I'm nuts and I'm not representative of most skiers and riders. I was just wondering about the other die hards on this board and what they would and would not ski in.

ThatNYguy Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Sep 08, 2001 Posts: 1748 Location:Circling near Albany, NY	Posted: Jan 19, 2005 - 11:47 PM GMT Edited: Jan 20, 2005 - 1:01 AM GMT Quote: I was just wondering about the other die hards on this board and what they would and would not ski in. Skiing in extreme cold cannot be on the top of most peoples' list although if its there, you enjoy a challenge and dress well, go for it. I would offer this advice... ski a place that has a lodge at the top and bottom. Stowe anyone? I'd rather ski in hard rain with the right dress... its a little warmer. Russ

Goose Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 19, 2002 Posts: 439 Location:	Posted: Jan 20, 2005 - 12:18 AM GMT Edited: Jan 20, 2005 - 12:24 AM GMT I love skiing when it is cold, you have the place to yourself. 2 years ago I skied SR onPresidents Day Saturday, the high was -3 that day and we had the place to ourselves. It was so un-crowded they shut down some lifts. I'm very rarely cold and I don't really dress in layers, I wear a pair of jeans, bib ski pants a regualr shirt and a wind proof Head Sok. On really cold days I'll put on a fleece pull over, which I'm sure I did that day at SR.

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