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Holiday week bust???

deadheadskier

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How do you bundle up for a high of -8 degrees?

This Thursday is gonna be rough!
I'd wear my normal outerwear.

Up top I have a heavy weight Merino wool base upper layer from Ice breaker, likely with a short sleeve T-shirt over it for a bit more weight. On top of that, my Patagonia R2 fleece jacket as a midlayer. Ive had the Patagonia for 15 years now and it's still going strong. Super warm for the core.

For the bottom, my normal base layer bottoms with a heavy cotton gym short over them. The cotton isn't ideal, but they are thick and keep the chill from cold chairs off my ass and thighs. I should probably look at getting some thick fleece shorts for such weather. I don't like a full length mid-layer on bottom because it restricts knee articulation.

For the head, Balaclava plus neck warmer and helmet.

Hands, would get Mittens with glove liners.

Feet, my Boots with Hotronics set to level 4 instead of 2. 4 provides about 2 hours of continuous use vs 6 at level 2.

I've skied multiple days with this configuration at 5-15 below and have been mostly fine.

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SkiFanE

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Simple. You get nice fleece slippers, down comforter, and good book near wood stove. Unless there is new snow, I skip it. Keeping your body warm is physically exhausting. I always feel twice as tired after a bitter cold day. To date - this vaca is far from a bust. Had my first Xmas ski day ever yesterday. Tons o fun. Heading out again soon :). Piles of snow all over. Agony at SR was open on natural snow on Dec 25th. Let that sink in lol.
 

bdfreetuna

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keep the faith
Yeah as long as there's not exposed skin I don't really mind "extreme" cold.

My main issue is, the colder the air, the worse I breathe. Generally anything single digits and I'm wheezing and hacking.

I don't hear a lot of people complain about this, but I guess it's a holdover from the days of sucking down athsma inhalers on the lacrosse field.
 

skifree

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Don't sweat! Prefer open lifts vs gondalas. Cold squeaky snow is the best.
Enjoy. i'm working.
 

Whitey

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My main issue is, the colder the air, the worse I breathe. Generally anything single digits and I'm wheezing and hacking.

I don't hear a lot of people complain about this, but I guess it's a holdover from the days of sucking down athsma inhalers on the lacrosse field.

I wear both a backlava and a neck gator when it's really, really cold and breathe thru those as well as cover my face with them. Works pretty good. You just gotta master the technique of "breathing down" so that the warm, moist air from your breath doesn't go up into your googles.

I'll be at Crotched on Wednesday and Killington on Friday. I'll get to test out if my gator/backlava combo work out in bitter cold.
 

SIKSKIER

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Always an upside to nasty temps.The snow surface stays so good much longer imo.Less trafic might account for some of it but it just seems to be more durable on the groomers.
 

drjeff

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The only thing I'd add to what's been posted cold weather tips wise so far, is a nice layer of Dermatome under your eyes, your upper cheeks and over your nose - basically along the junction of your goggles and whatever your face protection of choice is. Works great when it's cold at helping reduce frost bite risk and also is great on warm days when face protection isn't needed to prevent sun and/or wind burn

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Glenn

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Pretty early in the season for temps this cold! Hoping the areas do well despite the colder temps. They'll certainly be able to make snow if that's in the plans.
 

Zermatt

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Pico was awesome today. 100% open, plenty of powder left on Outpost. Even enough snow to groom the natural snow trails.
 

speden

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The only thing I'd add to what's been posted cold weather tips wise so far, is a nice layer of Dermatome under your eyes, your upper cheeks and over your nose - basically along the junction of your goggles and whatever your face protection of choice is. Works great when it's cold at helping reduce frost bite risk and also is great on warm days when face protection isn't needed to prevent sun and/or wind burn

That's a good tip. I've been looking for something like that. I'll have to pick up some Dermatome.

On really cold days, one thing I like to add is boot gloves. It's a neoprene layer that fits over the foot part of the boot. It noticeably slows down heat loss and keeps my toes from getting cold and sending me back into the lodge too soon.
 

Glenn

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I've seen more people with Boot Gloves over the past few years. May have to give those a try.
 

drjeff

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I've seen more people with Boot Gloves over the past few years. May have to give those a try.

My crews experience with them... Your feet will still eventually get cold with a pair of boot gloves on. It just takes a longer time to do so.

Once you take a break and need to warm up, take them off inside the lodge as then the neoprene will help keep the cold in. Also, don't put them on in the lodge or in a location where you have to walk across a non snow surface before clicking into your bindings, as walking on those more abrasive surfaces wears out the strap that goes across the sole of your boot more rapidly....

One final thing, especially for Glenn and Mrs. Glenn's humor sake... Boot Gloves don't make you nearly as cool as "neoprene butt guy" items!! :lol: (It's an old inside joke from Glenn and Mrs Glenn's Mount Snow days.... :) )
 

hammer

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Was at Gunstock yesterday for a few hours. Cold definitely kept the crowds away which was good because the HSQ was down all day. Guess they got more ice than expected. Slope conditions were fine...a bit firm in spots but plenty of edgeable snow.

Another issue was that they only had two ticket windows open...waited over 30 minutes to get my RFID cards. Would have thought that they would have at least one more window open, especially since they were all outside. I ended up having to warm up in the lodge after getting the cards. Not good.
 

BenedictGomez

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My main issue is, the colder the air, the worse I breathe. Generally anything single digits and I'm wheezing and hacking.

I don't hear a lot of people complain about this, but I guess it's a holdover from the days of sucking down athsma inhalers on the lacrosse field.

I might have something similar. It's not really the cold air with me, it's the cold air PLUS heavy wind. If there is a stiff gale directly into my face when I'm walking, I cant breathe. I turn around and face the other direction (walk backwards) for a second to take a breath. I also had asthma as a child (used a spinhaler), though dunno if it's related.
 

kingslug

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For 20 bucks boot gloves work almost as good as 300 buck warmers. I use them now. Big difference when I don't. And when they wear out..20 bucks.
 

ScottySkis

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I\ts a heat wave here this week
It was a high of -45 in Fargo yesterday
FArgo ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
we got good in comparsionnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn............................
 
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