• 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.

Question: How cold is TOO cold?

Robyn

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Okay, I think that -40 windchill is officially my too cold mark. I've been off the hill since 3pm and it's now 5:30 and my hands are still chilled. Fortunately my core was toasty warm. Layering scheme was wicking tank, REI midweight base layer, fleece vest, down sweater, outer team coat which has light insulation. Bottom had CW-X tights (non insulated), additional capri length base layer and insulated ski pants. Legs were a little cold but not bad. Upper body was fine. Hands did well until the handwarmers died about 2pm. Toes sucked the big one.
 

pinto

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Okay, I think that -40 windchill is officially my too cold mark. I've been off the hill since 3pm and it's now 5:30 and my hands are still chilled. Fortunately my core was toasty warm. Layering scheme was wicking tank, REI midweight base layer, fleece vest, down sweater, outer team coat which has light insulation. Bottom had CW-X tights (non insulated), additional capri length base layer and insulated ski pants. Legs were a little cold but not bad. Upper body was fine. Hands did well until the handwarmers died about 2pm. Toes sucked the big one.

Yes, but was the big one sucking your toes?




Never mind.
 

oragejuice

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
:ROTF::ROTF:
 

Bumblebee

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Coldest for me has been minus 30 C plus at Lake Louise (back side) - we were told it was -50 C with wind chill. I've skiied 12 weeks there and that's the coldest I've ever had.

It was a ski lesson and the only people out that day were lessons and the British. :D I was the only person in the group not to get frostbite... maybe too cold, but you appreciate your hot chocolate breaks more!
 

Toucan

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm curious about something. All you ladies have said what you think is cold and too cold. What about taking kids out in the bitter cold? How cold is too cold for little guys (let's say younger than 12)?
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
Experienced kids or newb's? Experienced kids 8 and up should know the bottom line. Under 8, check often. Again, a function of how well dressed and whether any skin exposed. Last 4 ski days for me (ending 12/23) were absurdly cold, and I couldn't believe how many little kids were out there (AND having a good time). Ask for foot coldness feedback, take frequent breaks, make sure facial skin is covered 100%, and check fingers (hand warmers a good idea). I'd say 0 to single digits is about it for kids under 8, unless they are total die-hards. (some are)
 

Robyn

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes, but was the big one sucking your toes?




Never mind.

*Snort*

I'm curious about something. All you ladies have said what you think is cold and too cold. What about taking kids out in the bitter cold? How cold is too cold for little guys (let's say younger than 12)?

Well, I was coaching 5 and 6 year olds yesterday. During our first warm up break I had a very serious conversation with each of them individually about telling me how their fingers and toes were feeling. If they were cold they need to tell me. If they got to a point that they couldn't feel them then they really needed to tell me. Every single run I checked in with them to find out how they were doing. We had one near emergency with some cold fingers at the very end of our day so we headed in at the bottom (normally we would wait until we got back to the mid mountain lodge) because it was that bad. After that warm up we needed to head up for backpacks at the mid-mountain spot so I asked who wanted to go up and who wanted to stay down. My 2 boys were in for going up (they wanted to do the terrain park) and the little girl who'd been so cold was seriously thinking about it. I made an executive decision that she wasn't allowed back up with me yesterday since she had a slight white spot on a finger upon arrival to the base. The other little girl stayed in as well. We headed up and did the terrain park and I grabbed the 4 back packs. By the time I had those in hand I was getting really, really cold myself as my hand warmers had died. I made the boys ski down quickly and each time they stopped to see if I wanted to tell them something (our normal pattern) I just kept waving them on. It was so darn cold I didn't want to stop.

I go into this debate with myself about getting things like boot heaters because I worry that if I have toasty warm toes and fingers I won't be quite as aware of the cold and loose track of what they might be feeling.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
I go into this debate with myself about getting things like boot heaters because I worry that if I have toasty warm toes and fingers I won't be quite as aware of the cold and loose track of what they might be feeling.

Good point, even consider this re: boot gloves when coaching. (no problem when not coaching, obviously) This is one of the harder aspects of the job, for sure, in terms of responsibility. Ours is a notoriously cold, windy mountain, and one time DH made a poor decision taking a class up to the summit (was windier than expected) - I was tail-gunning that afternoon. Good thing. I wound up with 2 kids tucked under my arms (ax 8 y/o) on chairlift, their faces buried as deep as possible, and we were singing loudly to distract. Ultimately, all were okay, but it was worrisome.
 

Robyn

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Good point, even consider this re: boot gloves when coaching. (no problem when not coaching, obviously) This is one of the harder aspects of the job, for sure, in terms of responsibility. Ours is a notoriously cold, windy mountain, and one time DH made a poor decision taking a class up to the summit (was windier than expected) - I was tail-gunning that afternoon. Good thing. I wound up with 2 kids tucked under my arms (ax 8 y/o) on chairlift, their faces buried as deep as possible, and we were singing loudly to distract. Ultimately, all were okay, but it was worrisome.

Ah, yes. I often am putting their hoods up over their helmets as we go up some of those windy lifts. Unfortunately it can be deceiving and calm at the bottom of the lift and then you go up and the wind comes out of nowhere.

And, yes, I'll keep an eye out on the Boot Glove thing. It's kind of a compromise for me to do something (I was nearly in tears by the end of the day) but not doing the full on boot heater which many of my kiddos have. Part of the difference is they can fit toe warmers in their boots and I can't so they've got some help there.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
We've got the same boots --- can't get warmers in mine, either. Yeah, the cold toe thing. Just did 4 days of that. Was the only part of me that was truly cold. Be careful, heed the warning (not easy to do when you're working....). I too am now in the market for boot gloves. Saw a bunch of them in use. Those people, once inside, weren't forced to remove boots as I was. Might be well be worth the +-$30.
 

Toucan

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I found boot gloves a little cumbersome and got Hotronics instead. Love 'em! DH wears the gloves and is liks them fine.

Gratifying to see Diva instructors so concerned about the little guys in your classes. I'm not sure if my kids were still that little I'd be comfortable with them on the slopes at such bitter temps. I'm usually cold though so maybe that's why I'm such a worry wart about it.
 

Robyn

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Okay, so after those couple of days I was really debating between the boot gloves and Hotronics. I was near tears by the end of the both Friday and Saturday and I don't function well as a coach when I'm that cold either. So, today I stopped by my aunt and uncle's house to pick up gifts from my dad and there was a card with a check from my other uncle as well. Just enough to cover the super duper Hotronics m4 with a $50 off coupon I had. So, my new bootwarmers are charging as we speak and I'll have Surefoot install this week. My plan is to keep them on minimally while coachinng (like setting 1 or 2) to keep myself aware of the cold and then use them as much as I please on my own ski days.

Toucan, thank you for your kind statement. I'm quite concerned for my little guys (I have them for a full season each year) because I remember so many absolutely miserable cold days as a racer and that is mostly why I quit racing and only skied maybe 1 time per year for many years. I want the kids I coach to always remember that their first year of racing was about havign fun and enjoying the sport. I will consider myself a good coach if I see them 10, 15 and 20 years from now still out loving the snow.
 

SkiNurse

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
One thing I found surprising when I bought my boot heaters last year is that my feet don't get "toasty". I thought they were broken (Therm-ic). The guys @ Surefoot told me that my feet won't get toasty. The heaters will make my boots just warm enough to keep the circulation going in my feet. Plus, they stated toasty means sweating which means evaporation...which we all know leads to even more cold! n**shiver**

And, they were right. Since I have bought them, I have NOT had to leave the mountian d/t cold feet...and the only time my feet feel "cold" is when it is cold and WINDY...especially on the lifts. hat is why I did purchase some of the Boot Gloves (by Dry Guy) for those windy days to protect my feet that much more.

Now, if only I can keep my hands warm.....
 

Robyn

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Oh, yes, I know this isn't for toasty toes, just bearable sans tears toes.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Well I think I found out today how cold it too cold!! -28 C with the wind chill. I just couldn't keep warm. Hands, feet, face and core!!
 

skihub

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My 7 yo daughter is getting cold toes. I think we are managing her hands OK with her mittens and hand warmers.

Yesterday it was in the high teens, low twenties. But she got cold (the wind was blowing). She especially gets chilled before our lunch break, even though she is getting a good breakfast.

So I am considering some type of boot heating system for her. I don't know much about them, but I would need something that would easily move from boot to boot since she is a growing girl.

I am not sure what my definition of too cold is any more, since I am usually in with my kids before I have a chance to get too cold. The first time I went out west, I skied all day with one break and I was shocked to see that is was 0'F outside. Am I crazy or is Colorado cold different than the damp Michigan cold? The wind was not blowing that day either obviously. Maybe I was so entralled by the mountains that I didn't know how cold I really was.
 

skidaup

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Too cold is when my nose hairs wiggle, I just hate that....
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
26,233
Messages
497,563
Members
8,503
Latest member
MermaidKelly
Top