How cold will you go?

[Chris Houghton]

There's a point where the snow gets less slippery, Mt Tremblant at -50 comes to mind. The black runs were like greens, the greens were unusable.

[Bobby Buggs]

I do this sport for fun, if its below 20F out there its not nearly as fun as 30. Not to mention I like my boots to FLEX, below 20 that stops. In my younger days back in the 90s I would go in just about any temp but I was stuck going on weekends. With weekday options in the mix I can be a bit more picky about temps. I know some people live in places where below 0 is a common thing and that sucks, some just want to be Macho, I just like knowing I can remove my glove and not lose my hand :)

[NMU Alpine Boarder]

Like others, several factors come into play for me...

At Giants Ridge, MN, we pulled up to the parking lot on a race day where the temp was -26*F (car thermometer) with no wind... By noon, the temp had soared to -18*F... Surprisingly, that day was very tolerable, and even enjoyable... You just had to keep moving... The snow was very carvable, you just had to have on some super hard, cold wax to move...

On the flip side, I had an absolute miserable day at Lutsen a few years ago... The temp was around 0*F with light winds... Wind chill was -15*F or so... The problem was that the Chalet on our side of the resort was only about 50*F It was impossible to warm up... If you pulled your feet out of your boots, you were banging and stomping all over the floor to get the shells back on... I had to rub my feet with heat packs to get feeling back in them... You couldn't really take off any layers because it was cold... By the lunch, I felt so drained... Everyone was chilled through and through... Not fun at all...

[Steve Prokopiw]

at Coppper many years ago when the lift shack thermos read 31 below without windchill.Luckily, it was not windy but I still felt it was wrong to sell lessons.Obviously went indoors after every run and started the beginners lessons indoors.

On the otherhand,if you came all the way from the big city for your skitrip,by golly yer gonna ski!

[Keyser Soze]

Just add more layers! I LOVE riding in the cold because most of the straightliners stay home. I end up taking frequent breaks though, it's hard to keep your hands and feet warm at -40.

Ugh, Winnipeg is a whole other breed of cold.

[michael.a]

Its the wind chill that kills me, I was riding a few weeks ago in -20C and its no problem, just have the have the right gear.

[crucible]

I find that below -30C, even with proper layering and insulation, that without the aid of chemical warm packs that I cannot last for more than 4 hours at a time. -30C also marks the time when I change from gloves to mittens on my hands.

A long time ago I was in a winter ice-climbing accident that left me with second and third degree frostbite on the first digits of two fingers on my right hand.

Now when the thermometer gets below -20C, my injured fingers let me know in no uncertain terms that it's F***king COLD.

Another key to staying warm in such cold temperatures is to make sure that you're well hydrated- I usually bring along a small thermos of hot chocolate in my Dakine Heli pack and it really helps to keep the core stoked.

[tahoetrencher]

around Oo-10o F here in the Sierra. I thought that happened everywhere? Even without wax it was still unrideable the last time I tried the cold (-12oF). Windchill is a non descriptive number after 40 or 50 below. I was straightlining the 186 PR down piste I normally can't even carve on a 163!

:confused:You're the only other one felt this Chris? Strange.

[csquared]

The snow does get stickier and you can deal with this using the right wax of course but it also becomes less easy to displace and it holds an edge better. Some nice firm groom at -18'C is about as good as it gets with total edge hold from very delicate trenches. The runs tend to stay in better shape longer too. Thumbs up for cold temperatures as long as they don't come with wind or driving snow.

Since what we do tends to require a lot more energy than what most skiers are putting into their sport, I find I need to manage body heat more than the cold most of the time. The vulnerable parts are the face, the hands, and the toes. I have found thermofit liners to be substantially warmer than conventional liners so my feet are usually okay in very low temperatures. Mitts are better than gloves for my hands. However, I still don't have a solution for my face and I usually end up with mild frost bite. I am doubtful one of those masks would work given the high level of respiration when I am really cranking. I am guessing it would end up as a wet rag on my face and then a frozen shell. Anybody ride with a mask that works?

[bjvircks]

Anybody ride with a mask that works?

Great question! I have a light and a heavy balaclava. I really like them for warmth, but with either one I must pull the opening large enough so my mouth is exposed or else my goggles fog up instantly. My wife bought me a neoprene mask with the nose piece and small holes at the mouth. I wore it once but never again. (Don't tell HER that, please.) Same fogging problem. I've given some thought to a device kind of like the snorkle mouthpiece on an avalanche vest to route exhaled breath away from the face area.

[Bubba]

-17F according to my truck (dont know how accurate these are) when i left this morning. was on softies because i had to coach the freestyle team today. snow was great and was leaving some nice ruts. wierd about it being colder than s**t and the snow being awesome for carving. saw a few out in hardboots and wishing i had that set-up on.

[Corey]

I find that below -30C, even with proper layering and insulation, that without the aid of chemical warm packs that I cannot last for more than 4 hours at a time.

That's a key difference, I am usually only on the hill for between 2 and 3 hours before I pop in for a break. Toes are my weakness, they're the first thing to get cold in any weather for me.

Anybody ride with a mask that works?

It's tough, I've found that anything that doesn't have a big direct air escape path will lead to fogged goggles. Lately I've been using an open-face balaclava (like this) with either a fleece neck tube or a bandana tucked under the edge of my goggles. Keep the bottom side of the neck tube or the bandana open and away from your helmet strap so that your breath can flow freely down and out.

It will get wet and then freeze, just keep adjusting it as it starts freezing so that it doesn't touch your face. Then it's a custom hard-shell face protector/breath deflector! :)

[jp1]

bjvircks; " I've given some thought to a device kind of like the snorkle mouthpiece on an avalanche vest to route exhaled breath away from the face area."

Not a 'snorkle', but it worked A lady in our club use to make a deflector out of fleece. It was shaped & looked like a mustache. It had a small piece of velcro glued to it so it attached to the bottom of 'most' goggles, just stick it on.

It deflected your breath away & kept goggles from fogging up :D Awesome, unless you were sporting a Fu-manchu, then you had a solid block of ice on your upper lip

[kinpa]

So many "if's" in this topic.... really would depend where I was, how long it took to get there, and how much gas money was spent already by the time I got there.

In December '08 I went to Big Sky for a weekend for an AASI clinic.... spent a ton of money on tickets, lodging, gas, etc.... BUT I guess lifts there close if it's -35 so money was wasted on that Sunday. I really didn't want to go out in in anway, so I guess it was a good thing that I had an excuse not to.

[Dr D]

cold is GOOD:biggthump

good snow conditions and it keeps the tourons in the bar and off the slopes:ices_ange

[Allee]

On the otherhand,if you came all the way from the big city for your skitrip,by golly yer gonna ski!

I made this mistake on one of the two times I've broken my -20C rule. Drove for four hours through crap weather to get to Fernie, paid to stay overnight, and it was -26C when we hit the hill. I got frostbite under my goggles, the conditions sucked, and I was utterly miserable for the four hours we were out there. Never again. Fernie is damp and humid too, so it felt even colder than it was. The same temperature at Nakiska later that month was cold, but bearable.

Super cold snow is unrideable out this way. I went to Kicking Horse after a solid week of -30C temps, dropped off the first run, and stopped. It was like glue. We had to ride in areas where it was sun exposed, because anything in shadow would bring you to a screaming halt.

-20C is generally my limit. Our season is long enough that I don't need to be out in that.

[WASMAN]

Super cold snow is unrideable out this way. I went to Kicking Horse after a solid week of -30C temps, dropped off the first run, and stopped. It was like glue. We had to ride in areas where it was sun exposed, because anything in shadow would bring you to a screaming halt

Kicking horse on a carve board???? Man, not too much terrain there to lay it out!!!

I was out there last year when that couple disappeared, had my hard boot set up and only used it one day. Skied the rest of the time.. too much steep and deep.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Super cold snow is unrideable out this way. I went to Kicking Horse after a solid week of -30C temps, dropped off the first run, and stopped. It was like glue. We had to ride in areas where it was sun exposed, because anything in shadow would bring you to a screaming halt.

You need to change your wax. It will be slower, but it shouldn't be that bad.

[kinpa]

cold is GOOD:biggthump

good snow conditions and it keeps the tourons in the bar and off the slopes:ices_ange

Until they remember why they are there.... then you got fozen drunk people cluttering up the hill...

but Dr. D... it's nothing here like it is in the East.... crowded slopes and many more fickle people (uh oh.... NO, I'm not talking about anyone on here! We are all dedicated people..... I'm talking about the ski bunnies that come for a day or something and would rather be in the bar even on nice days!)

[Allee]

Kicking horse on a carve board???? Man, not too much terrain there to lay it out!!!

I was out there last year when that couple disappeared, had my hard boot set up and only used it one day. Skied the rest of the time.. too much steep and deep.

I was there on Boxing Day this year, and it was one of the best carve days of my life. With no new snow for a week, it was super smooth, right from the Crystal Bowl at the top to the Catamount runs at the bottom - and the place was deserted to boot. But if you strike it on a powder day, then yes, a carving setup is the absolute last thing you'd want to be on!

Neil, I tried to blame the wax - but everyone I spoke to on the hill that day was having the same issue. I'd waxed with KUU cold before I went, because I knew it would be freezing - it didn't make a damn of difference. I hate to think how cold it must have been getting overnight up there...

[bartron]

You just know I was going to jump into this thread. :-)

I went riding at Jay Peak when it was -58C with the wind-chill. It was something like -28C without the wind-chill. I believe I also had similar temps on one of my outings to Tremblant.

I find temps colder than -20C without the wind-chill to be the best ones to ride in. The snow stays fresh since it's too cold for it to melt, the sky is clear and the sun is always out, and most people stay away from the slopes because they find it too cold.

You just have to make sure you don't have any skin exposed, you're wearing enough layers and your boots aren't too tight -- in general, nothing is restricting your circulation. Once you have that done, you'll have an awesome day riding toasty warm on hero snow with almost the entire place to yourself.

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[bartron]

Neil, I tried to blame the wax - but everyone I spoke to on the hill that day was having the same issue. I'd waxed with KUU cold before I went, because I knew it would be freezing - it didn't make a damn of difference. I hate to think how cold it must have been getting overnight up there...

I was slipping quite well that day. I used KUU all-temp wax. I believe it's the Big Bertha wax. Nothing fancy.

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