What's your coldness limit for skiing?

[swampwiz]

The howling wind chill for Friday is just too much for me.

I'm used to skiing at Copper (CO), and I would refrain from skiing on a non-windy day, even if the sky were clear, if the high temp at the base did not get up to -5F. I've skied colder, or about that temp with some flurries, and got some frostbite below my eyes (I wear sunglasses, no goggles, and a turtle.)

Of course there was that one super cold day at Aspen (CO) when the temp at the top of the gondola was -25F! But at least I could warm up about half the time in the gondola.

There was another quite cold day - I believe was about -18C (~ 0F) - at Bivio (CH), an area that only had tow ropes, and my feet have never been colder since (had to go to the floor heated bar to put my raw feet on to warm back up every couple of runs!)

 

[Angus]

I've posted this story here before, in January in the early '80's - minus double digits with a howling wind at sugarloaf. 4 or 5 runs frostbite everytime - this was from the bottom half of mountain. A couple of years ago, I went back and looked at the temperature data and the all-time low temperatures were set for the area during this period. I do think today's fabrics and accessories - face masks, etc. make cold and wind much more bearable. I skied at wildcat a few years ago and it was below zero across the mountain all day and the wind was blowing pretty good and I was comfortable.

 

[Glenn]

The coldest I skied was at Burke back in the early 1990's. It was something insane with the wind....30-40 below? We all got frostbite on the first run. We decided to stay in the lodge a bit until the wind died down.

 

[andrec10]

Stowe in 1993. Air temp was -35! I skied all day. Young and stupid, but no frostbite. Took a break every few runs. Dont know if I would do that anymore.

 

[deadheadskier]

Coldest I ever went out was Stowe in 1995. -35 at the top of the Quad, windchill of -80. Only went up because there was a foot of fresh. Don't know if I got frostbite or not, but my hands have never hurt so bad before or since from cold.

I'd say I draw the line now at temps of 5 below with no wind. A day like today I would not be out there.

 

[Puck it]

With no wind, I would say -20F. The wind sucks. Okemo last year in Feb. was -17F. Growing up in NNY, I think I had plenty of -30 to -20F days. Warp Daddy can attest to that.

 

[WWF-VT]

NOAA forecast for Sugarbush tomorrow. Time to put on another layer.....

Saturday: Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 6. Wind chill values as low as -25. North wind between 8 and 10 mph.

 

[SkiDork]

anyone remember New Years Day 2009?

I had to put my glove over any tiny holes between my facemask and goggles, otherwise it felt like a needle sticking into my face.

 

[4aprice]

I had a race back in college at Mad River Glen where the wind chill factor was -80. Just brutal. As I get older I look forward more and more to those 35-45 degree days. I could ski tonight as my son has a practice but as of this moment I think I'll pass. Don't mean to sound like I'm becoming a wimp, but I'm becoming a wimp.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[jaywbigred]

All depends on the wind for me. Skied at Stratton in the 90s when it was -25 or so, and that wasn't so bad. There was fresh snow too. But I also got frostbite at Stowe in the early 90s (on my ears) when it was around -5 but the windchill was something like -50.

 

[Warp Daddy]

With no wind, I would say -20F. The wind sucks. Okemo last year in Feb. was -17F. Growing up in NNY, I think I had plenty of -30 to -20F days. Warp Daddy can attest to that.

4 sure Puck -- a 5-7 day stretch here -35 to -40 is fairly routine . Its always a VERY dry cold and your nostrils stick together

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 ,

 

[KevinF]

The coldest I have ever seen on a thermometer was -29F at Cannon a few years ago. I was just doing tram laps. I never had the tram to myself, but it was usually only two or three other people. The chairs were un-rideable.

 

[RootDKJ]

I don't have a limit. If I can get to the mountain, I'll ski a few runs. A few years ago at K, I suffered through -35F. That sucked, but there wasn't much in the way of lines. I had to head in every 2-3 runs for a warm up.

 

[Warp Daddy]

I don't have a limit. If I can get to the mountain, I'll ski a few runs. A few years ago at K, I suffered through -35F. That sucked, but there wasn't much in the way of lines. I had to head in every 2-3 runs for a warm up.

Damn Root -- UR a REAL North Country guy -- ur READY TO COME UP HERE AND JOIN THE REST OF USWOODCHUCKS OR AS SOME CALL US THE CARHART WEARIN , CAT HAT BRIGADE --ROFLMAO

 

[jrmagic]

My buddy and I caught an early chair on the Killington Peak double back in the early 90s and the wind chill was around -50 or so. Worst part was the chair stopped for 15 minutes or so. After that run down we spent the rest of the day over at Bear.

These days its not too bad for me. I have a slopeside condo at magic so on really cold days I can come back and warm up everytime I get too cold. I agree modern fabrics make it much more bearable. I think the coldest I skied this year was the Tuesday or Wednesday after Christmas and the widchill was clsoe to -20. The kdis and I satayed out for about 6 runs before needing a warm up.

 

[RootDKJ]

My buddy and I caught an early chair on the Killington Peak double back in the early 90s and the wind chill was around -50 or so. Worst part was the chair stopped for 15 minutes or so. After that run down we spent the rest of the day over at Bear.

These days its not too bad for me. I have a slopeside condo at magic so on really cold days I can come back and warm up everytime I get too cold. I agree modern fabrics make it much more bearable. I think the coldest I skied this year was the Tuesday or Wednesday after Christmas and the widchill was clsoe to -20. The kdis and I satayed out for about 6 runs before needing a warm up.

HA, I remember when the used to throw the wool blankets on top of you on that lift.

 

[bigbog]

With my modified science-project AT(Dynafit) liners the toes have been doing pretty good, but my ugly BootGloves are simply incredible. Have to be the biggest bump up in comfort. My Hotronic 2.7Plus batteries seem gone..but *EDIT: I think may just need a re-charge..

$.01

 

[Robbski]

I'll head to the mountain if the forecast is calling for 0 F ambient or higher. I'll ski if it's -10 F or higher if I'm already there. I don't worry a hell of a lot about wind chill because I make damn certain I'm covered head to toe in windproof clothing and wind chill is about bare flesh and wind permeable clothing (at least that's what the boys at the Mt. Washington Observatory say). Of course if the wind is blowing enough to slow lifts, obscure vision or make tree limbs crash then it becomes part of the decision matrix.

 

[jrmagic]

HA, I remember when the used to throw the wool blankets on top of you on that lift.

I remember that too but they didnt ahve them that day. Not sure when they stopped using them.

 

[wa-loaf]

I've done -30 in the past. Now I need to invest in heaters for my boots. My toes seem to have had too much exposure to the cold and freeze and get numb really fast. It was 10 last night at WA and I was toasty warm except for my toes.