From the Ski for Light Bulletin - Fall 2011
by Marvin Liewer
Skiing at Snow Mountain Ranch this year was an excellent opportunity to test cold weather clothing. In my 30- plus years of skiing, I have never skied in minus 20-degree weather before. In spite of the cold, Larry Povinelli and I were able to ski every day. Wearing the right clothing was the key to enjoying the experience.
Here is what worked for me. Next to my skin I wore polyester underwear designed to transfer moisture to the outer layers of clothing where it evaporated. Avoid cotton in cold weather: It gets damp as you sweat, and you only get more chilled. My next layer for my upper body was a heavy fleece jacket. A heavy woven and breathable pair of ski pants covered my lower body. My outer layer was a loose fitting windproof nylon parka complete with a large hood. Lightweight nylon windbreaker pants covered my legs. The parka and nylon pants were not coated to shed rain. Coated material is not desirable in subzero temperatures, as it only traps the moisture inside your coat. With three layers I was comfortable while skiing.
I have poor circulation in my hands and feet, and have trouble keeping them warm. To keep my feet warm I start with ski boots that are about 1 size larger than my street shoes. This gives me room to place a felt insole in the boot. I wear a pair of light-weight wool liner socks and a second pair of medium-weight wool socks. When the temperature is below zero I add a foot warmer pad on the top of my foot just behind the toes. This system worked for me in Colorado in spite of the extreme cold. I wear mittens on my hands. Gloves separate the fingers and will not keep my hands warm. I wear a pair of wool liners inside of a leather outer mitten. On warmer days I wear only the leather outer mittens. On cold days like those we had this year I put a handwarmer on the inside of the mitten. Hand and toe warmers were the key to my staying comfortable in the cold temperatures we experienced at Snow Mountain. Information on these warmers can be viewed on the internet www.heatmax.com.
For added insurance I kept a small down vest in my pack in case I needed it, but Larry kept up a good pace and I did not use it while skiing. I only wore the vest on race day while waiting to cheer on incoming skiers.
Ski for Light 2011 was certainly a year to remember. Hopefully it will be warmer in Provo Utah next year. If not, bring the right clothing and you will still be able to ski and enjoy.