What's your coldness limit for skiing?

[UVSHTSTRM]

I hate when your nose hairs freeze up

That is one of my pet peeves of riding....that and having to go inside for and EDA (emergency dump attack). Really ruins any momentum you have going.

 

[snowmonster]

riv, I hear ya. But, as the quintessential day-tripper/weekend warrior, I take what I can get. Being a masochist helps. It's in my DNA: we're not happy unless we're suffering.=)

 

[x10003q]

I remember skiing Stowe with my Dad in like 1982(?) and they gave us blankets on the single chair.. It was my first big mountain ski experience... I was actually scared shi*less..

DMC,
It was so funny to read your post.
I was on winter break from college and spent 2 weeks at Stowe in 1982. It was 3 poncho cold to ride the double and single chairs. We put 2 over our heads to cover our bodies and wrapped the 3rd around the head. The time frame also includes the 1-10-82 NFL Freezer Bowl which was SD at Cinci for the 1981 AFC Championship Game. It was -9 with a wind chill that was -37°F (calculated as -59°F using the now outdated wind chill formula in place at the time). We had a friend playing in the game. Amazingly with all the alcohol fueled bad behavior nobody got frostbite. We mostly skied in jeans and CB jackets.

The coldest temp I ever saw was -44°F at the October Country Inn at night near Killington 1977. I took the battery out of our station wagon (as did ever one else staying there)and brought it indoors. The next morning I went out to install the battery and it was about -30°F and I was all bundled up. By the time I was done the sun came out and the temp went up to about -15°F and I had stripped down to a sweater because I was sweating from manuvering the 60 pound battery and the 15° rise in temp. That day at Killington there was no wind and the temp got up to -5°F and I was warm.

I will still ski in the extreme cold but with kids the equation changes.

 

[swampwiz]

The coldest temp I ever saw was -44°F at the October Country Inn at night near Killington 1977. I took the battery out of our station wagon (as did ever one else staying there)and brought it indoors. The next morning I went out to install the battery and it was about -30°F and I was all bundled up ...

That story has got me wondering. I was in Gunnison, CO in December (a valley notorious for the coldest temperature in the lower 48, even colder than Montana or North Dakota sometimes!) and for a few days, the temperature would get down to about -15F. I was having some problems starting my car, and obviously it was due to the cold. I've never thought that folks would take the battery out for the super cold days, but it makes sense! That's got to be a real pain in the azz to fiddle around with putting the battery back in at those temps!

 

[x10003q]

That story has got me wondering. I was in Gunnison, CO in December (a valley notorious for the coldest temperature in the lower 48, even colder than Montana or North Dakota sometimes!) and for a few days, the temperature would get down to about -15F. I was having some problems starting my car, and obviously it was due to the cold. I've never thought that folks would take the battery out for the super cold days, but it makes sense! That's got to be a real pain in the azz to fiddle around with putting the battery back in at those temps!

It was a pain. I took the battery out as soon as we got back from skiing and it was already about 5F. It was one of those clear nights and thermometer just kept getting lower and lower. The next morning the car started right up once I put the battery back in. It was no fun trying to install the battery with leather ski gloves on. :smash:

 

[billski]

Lots of folks chiming in with specific temperatures or "depends on the wind". And while I agree that the wind hurts more than the cold itself, for me it has more to do with conditions. There isn't much I won't tolerate for boot deep untracked even if it means going inside to warm up every other run. But I don't think I could stomach single digits for hard pack groomers or below zero for general natural snow packed powder.

I skied this past Saturday and only went inside for a bathroom stop and lunch. Going fast in between the trees on the groomers hurt any exposed skin. Otherwise, zero degrees is a fine temperature for skiing and below zero is not too shabby if the conditions warrant the exercise in masochism.

I take no pleasure in wide open runs, skiing mach schnell on an uber-cold day. Well, maybe 12+ of pow could lure me...
I'd much rather get beat up in the trees, work up a sweat, shielded from the winds.

Regarding blankets - it seemed they stopped using them once they put seat padding over the slats.

 

[billski]

It was a pain. I took the battery out as soon as we got back from skiing and it was already about 5F. It was one of those clear nights and thermometer just kept getting lower and lower. The next morning the car started right up once I put the battery back in. It was no fun trying to install the battery with leather ski gloves on. :smash:

Most people I know/knew just stuck the old oil pan heater in and that was enough. I suppose if your battery was on its last legs it might be necessary.

 

[WoodCore]

Seen some crazy low temps during my college days in upstate NY but haven't really reached the limit of what I can withstand yet! Nothing like when the actual temp on the C temp scale meets the same temp on the F scale!

 

[bosrocker51]

Years ago, way back when I patrolled, I went to Cannon with some guys from the patrol It was -2 at the bottom, -15 and 30+MPH winds at the top. It was brutal, and I would NOT do it again. My feet were so cold I was afraid I would get frostbite, but luckily didn't get it.

 

[bosrocker51]

I skied at Cannon years ago and it was -2 at the base, -15 and 30+MPH winds at the top. I was really afraid my toes would get frostbite, but luckily I did not get frostbite... I would Never ski in that kind of cold again unless I had a spacesuit on.

 

[gladerider]

I skied Tremblant one day about 5 yrs ago - 75 F windchill and -25 F ambient temp at the base. Beautifully sunny day , i skied trails there that day that i normally would avoid --a great day of skiing BUT we'd take 3/4 runs then come in for half hr to get warm . We had every bit of cold weather gear on we owned ,

i remember that year. i took my family up to tremblant for a week during the president's week. one day it was -40. my wife and i took a run and went straight to the summit lodge for a cup of irish coffee. your nostrills start to freeze. my contacts started to freeze. nowadays, i think -20 or so would be my limit.

 

[crank]

-25 for me at the top of MT Ellen. The lift ride was the hard part. Spent the afternoon skiing the lower mountain where is was only -15 or so. I was up for the week and it was cold all week. Typical January in VT. My battery wasn't the greatest and I would go out driving for a half hour or so around midnight so that the car would start in the AM.

 

[billski]

I hate when your nose hairs freeze up

It was too damn hot skiing in mass today. Must have been 32