Serafina
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
That's what I was thinking - that it wasn't going to be the skiing, it was going to be the lifts that prove unpleasant. I do think I'll stick to the lower lifts for that reason.
-
Women skiers, this is the place for you -- an online community without the male-orientation you'll find in conventional ski magazines and internet ski forums. At TheSkiDiva.com, you can connect with other women to talk about skiing in a way that you can relate to, about things that you find of interest. Be sure to join our community to participate (women only, please!). Registration is fast and simple. Just be sure to add [email protected] to your address book so your registration activation emails won't be routed as spam. And please give careful consideration to your user name -- it will not be changed once your registration is confirmed.
How cold is too cold to ski?
- Thread starter Serafina
- Start date
That's what I was thinking - that it wasn't going to be the skiing, it was going to be the lifts that prove unpleasant. I do think I'll stick to the lower lifts for that reason.
I've often wondered myself how cold is too cold. I think that the coldest I've skied in was single digits not including the wind chill. I realize that isn't really cold although the first time I tried that I was miserable because my fingers were so cold so I went into the gear shop, bought down gloves and popped a pair of hand warmers in them and went back out and was fine.
I inline skate or exercise outside most mornings year around. Once the temperature gets down to about 15 F I switch from skating to hiking. The short barefoot period when I am putting my skates on is just a tad unpleasant and I haven't been able to put my skates on in my mini-van. On the other hand, I love hiking when it is single digits (F) temps. I quickly warm up, have the trails to myself and love the "crisp sounds."
Every year I cajole my fair weather friends into hiking with me on what is supposed to be the coldest day of the year, usually single digits. I figure that if we can be outside, having fun in low temps then then our normal highs in the upper 30's will seem much more tolerable. And the occasional day in the low 40's? Positively balmy!!
Alas, I didn't arrange for our "coldest day of the year" walk this weekend because I have bronchitis. I tried to talk them into going without me but they declined. Tch...fair weather hikers...they'll feel cold for the rest of winter.
I inline skate or exercise outside most mornings year around. Once the temperature gets down to about 15 F I switch from skating to hiking. The short barefoot period when I am putting my skates on is just a tad unpleasant and I haven't been able to put my skates on in my mini-van. On the other hand, I love hiking when it is single digits (F) temps. I quickly warm up, have the trails to myself and love the "crisp sounds."
Every year I cajole my fair weather friends into hiking with me on what is supposed to be the coldest day of the year, usually single digits. I figure that if we can be outside, having fun in low temps then then our normal highs in the upper 30's will seem much more tolerable. And the occasional day in the low 40's? Positively balmy!!
Alas, I didn't arrange for our "coldest day of the year" walk this weekend because I have bronchitis. I tried to talk them into going without me but they declined. Tch...fair weather hikers...they'll feel cold for the rest of winter.
BTW, I think all of us here at Sugarloaf for the Diva trip will have something to say about this before too long.
See now, MSL mocked me for using that emoticon in the Sugarloaf weather forecast thread!
Serafina
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Is 8 below right now in Northampton.
It was 3 (w/o wind chill) at the base when we showed up at Mt. Snow yesterday. By the time I'd wrangled all my gear on and shlepped the skis to the bottom of the lift I was schvitzing! I'd had to undo the parka and unzip my second layer halfway down.
The only time the cold really registered on me was mid-afternoon. I had to stop for a gear adjustment - bloody balaclava had gotten twisted around - and couldn't do it with my insulated gloves on. I stripped down to the silk liners, fixed the thing, and skied on. My fingers were on FIRE for the next 15 minutes!
Didn't stop until I sat on my hands all the way up the lift.
It was 3 (w/o wind chill) at the base when we showed up at Mt. Snow yesterday. By the time I'd wrangled all my gear on and shlepped the skis to the bottom of the lift I was schvitzing! I'd had to undo the parka and unzip my second layer halfway down.
The only time the cold really registered on me was mid-afternoon. I had to stop for a gear adjustment - bloody balaclava had gotten twisted around - and couldn't do it with my insulated gloves on. I stripped down to the silk liners, fixed the thing, and skied on. My fingers were on FIRE for the next 15 minutes!
Didn't stop until I sat on my hands all the way up the lift.
Skied in -29 centigrade, which is minus 20F. That was the day I decided to buy mitts instead of gloves to try and stop fingers dropping off. (Works a bit, at least I can curl my fingers up on the inside). Since then, have skied in minus 20C reasonably frequently. The skiing isn't the problem, it's the chairlift rides that get me-especially the old slow ones. Brrrrr!! And, for some reason, no matter the temperature, I always find my right foot is colder than my left. Mind you-at minus 29C-they are both like blocks of ice!
Make a great excuse for regular hot choc and vin chaud stops..
Make a great excuse for regular hot choc and vin chaud stops..
Yesterday, I skied in the coldest weather of the season so far. It started -6*F and never got over 2-3*F at the base.
Feet: The only difference was that I put on Boot Gloves. My toes were cooler than normal, but not uncomfortable at all.
Lower body: Insulated ski pants and a medium base layer - same as I wear every day under 40*F. No problem.
Upper body: In addition to my medium base layer, I added a cotton turtleneck, a Polarfleece 100 half zip, a LandsEnd down sweater, and my shell. The only time I was chilled was on the lift in the wind, and only on my arms.
Head: Helmet, Seirus combo balacava with neoprene mask, Buff on my neck. Goggles.
Hands: I started the day with Giordini mittens with liners. At lunch I switched to gloves for some additional dexterity. My fingers were colder in the afternoon, but not uncomfortable.
I say go for it.
Feet: The only difference was that I put on Boot Gloves. My toes were cooler than normal, but not uncomfortable at all.
Lower body: Insulated ski pants and a medium base layer - same as I wear every day under 40*F. No problem.
Upper body: In addition to my medium base layer, I added a cotton turtleneck, a Polarfleece 100 half zip, a LandsEnd down sweater, and my shell. The only time I was chilled was on the lift in the wind, and only on my arms.
Head: Helmet, Seirus combo balacava with neoprene mask, Buff on my neck. Goggles.
Hands: I started the day with Giordini mittens with liners. At lunch I switched to gloves for some additional dexterity. My fingers were colder in the afternoon, but not uncomfortable.
I say go for it.
MaineSkiLady
Angel Diva
Wind chill at the summit of Sugarloaf today ranged from -50F to -70F. It's too cold to ski when it's unsafe to operate the chairlifts.See now, MSL mocked me for using that emoticon in the Sugarloaf weather forecast thread!
p.s. Divas @ Loaf: Mr MSL skied 8 lower-elevation lift-serviced runs today, including the bumps on Spillway as serviced by Double Runner West. We bought boot gloves en route home!
MaineSkiLady
Angel Diva
Provides additional insulation over boots.
nopoleskier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I Love my boot gloves, have used for years. Yes help me alot! With toe heaters my old frost bit toes are happy!
Liquid Yellow
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
AKA 'sod that'.
I bought some bootgloves the other day, can't believe I'd never heard of them before. Will try them out for the first time this weekend - plus toe warmers if need be!
Kimmyt
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Evergreen, it surprisingly wasn't bad today! Absolutely no wind! I wore way too many layers (better safe than sorry) and was sweating on the runs but happy on the lifts. Was chatting with a guy on the lift and we both agreed it was better than a 20F and super windy day! Of course, the cold sticky snow plus powder made it a challenging technique day, for me.
I even ended up going for a run minus a layer or two later in the afternoon.... -9 degrees F!
I even ended up going for a run minus a layer or two later in the afternoon.... -9 degrees F!
B
B.E.G.
Guest
You ladies are hardcore! I wimped out on Sunday. It was -8 to -10, feeling like -20 with windchill. I was TOTALLY going to go until everyone flaked out on me, and I decided I couldn't handle both skiing alone and that weather.
Ringrat
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I guess I've never really thought of skiing on-resort in terms of the possibility of it being too cold. Sure, sometimes I'm miserable...
Sunday it was -28C (-18F) at the top of the chair with a -52C (-62F) windchill, and it was cold but manageable. Went in twice during the day instead of just once for lunch. Everything stayed warm except my feet.
On the other hand, Monday after work I went for a short tour at about -20C, and my feet got progressively colder on the skin up and even colder as I stripped my skins and navigated back down through the stumps. I was only out for about 1.5 hours and my feet were like blocks of ice. For me, temperature becomes a much more important thing when I'm going to be away from civilization or anywhere that I can warm up.
Sunday it was -28C (-18F) at the top of the chair with a -52C (-62F) windchill, and it was cold but manageable. Went in twice during the day instead of just once for lunch. Everything stayed warm except my feet.
On the other hand, Monday after work I went for a short tour at about -20C, and my feet got progressively colder on the skin up and even colder as I stripped my skins and navigated back down through the stumps. I was only out for about 1.5 hours and my feet were like blocks of ice. For me, temperature becomes a much more important thing when I'm going to be away from civilization or anywhere that I can warm up.
snow addict
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Doable and skiable. The problem with skiing (or other vigorous sport activity) in the cold is that you can freeze your lungs. You can protect yourself from outside but since you need to breathe, you are exposed on the inside. And exposed way more than people who say just went outside for a walk - even as body might be warmer due to excersise you take in way more cold air in your lungs. From x-country I was doing in my school years i remember that for younger kids -20C was the cut off temperature below which there were no racing on health-related grounds. In senior classes and for university students it was -25C. So with 4F (something between -15 and -16 C) you should be pretty safe as long as you dress warm enough, and wear a mask.
SkiNurse
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Forecast for Copper (and most of the Summit/Eagle moutains)
DAILY FORECAST
Very cold today; currently -22F. High of -4F. Winds NE 7-17 mph, gusting to 30. One inch of snow possible today.
Now if I was committed to ski w/ someone else today, than I wold go....but since I was going to ski by myself, I'm staying home!
DAILY FORECAST
Very cold today; currently -22F. High of -4F. Winds NE 7-17 mph, gusting to 30. One inch of snow possible today.
Now if I was committed to ski w/ someone else today, than I wold go....but since I was going to ski by myself, I'm staying home!
