inexpensive quality snowboarding mitts or gloves?

After spending the day out at Powder Ridge, I'm interested in finding something better for my hands than the gloves I have.

They're very thick and awkward, so I had to take them off to open pockets, etc, yet as they got wet from sweat and snow, they lost all of their warmth by the end of the day, leaving me with frozen hands.

I checked out the local shop, where I found my board, but all of the gloves and mitts there were $50 - $100 / pair. Do I need to spend that much for quality gloves that will be warm, durable, functional and stay dry (or at least stay warm)? If not, or if so, any recommendations?

Thanks,
Jeff

[riverc0il]

try buying a cheap pair of glove liners ($6-10). that way you can take off your glove/mitt, and your hand is still covered and kept warm, but you can also access pockets. plus, your hands will stay warmer longer in your gloves.

i learned this practice from skiing at cannon and liking to pull my camera out for shots.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by JeffU

...but all of the gloves and mitts there were $50 - $100 / pair. Do I need to spend that much for quality gloves that will be warm, durable, functional and stay dry (or at least stay warm)?

In short, yes.

Invest in a good pair of gloves. If your hands got cold yesterday at Powder Ridge, they will literally freeze if you go someplace further north on a truly cold day (like today). I have a pair of Marmot A/Ts which work well for me. They are not that bulky, but you'll still need to take them (or probably any ski glove/mitt) off to access pockets/camera, etc. riverc0il's liner idea sounds like a good solution.

http://www.burton.com/gear/pr_gloves.asp?productID=132

Ok, I went out and bought these burton leather gloves. I was going to get gore-tex, but I figure the leather will be pretty waterproof too, and very durable. Anyways, another day out at the ridge, colder this time, and my hands stayed toasty without even using the fleece liners.
Thanks
Jeff

[Greg]

Smart move. Your riding will really be affected if you're not comfortable. Plus those are some cool looking gloves!