Skiing at Zero Degrees F

The first week of February, a massive cold front settled over Oregon.  My ski bus was scheduled for Thursday, despite a prediction of below-zero temps.  All week I debated whether to brave the cold to get my skiing fix.  (Yes I grew up in frigid South Dakota, but 25+ years of living in temperate Portland has turned me into a weather weenie.)

Who are these mystery men?

Well, you know me - a little cold weather wasn't gonna get in the way of a ski bus day!  I decided freezing my butt off on the slopes was way better than going to work.  I packed all the ski clothes I owned, stocked up on hand warmers, and hoped the wind wouldn't blow too hard.

World of white

Stepping off the bus that next morning, the thermometer registered an even zero degrees F.  Before heading to the lift, I piled on the layers, stuck hand warmers in gloves, toe warmers in boots, and donned a thick face mask.  Meeting up with ski buddies Pat and Glen, I had to laugh.  They were so bundled up, only their eyes were visible (soon to be covered by goggles).

Pat zips down the slope

Once outside, my friends and I were happy to discover the air was still.  At least wind chill wouldn't be an issue.  And a couple inches of fresh snow lay on the ground.  Dry, light, fluffy powder - the kind we usually don't see in the Cascades.

Frozen skiers

Oh it was so fun to swoosh through the new snow!  I was having a ball, floating in the pow, making tracks everywhere.  I had no trouble staying warm while skiing, but the lift ride back up was another story.  Faces froze, goggles fogged, toes tingled.  Lunchtime came early.  Not because we were hungry - it was time for a much-needed warm up.

Yahoo!  It's snowing!

After enjoying our break, and thawing out cold hands and toes, it was time to put those layers back on, slip another hand warmer in the glove, and return to the slopes.  The morning snow was so good, I was looking forward to more powder turns.

But.......as my buddies and I started down our first run, I noticed the falling snow had turned wet and heavy.  Ice began to accumulate on my goggles.  It became so thick, I had to keep stopping to scrape it off, or I wouldn't be able to see.  Pat and Glen were having the same issue.

My ice-crusted goggles

Lucky for me, my ski gloves have a little plastic ice scraper built into the thumb.  Super handy for clearing frozen goggles!  Poor Glen and Pat didn't have any such gadget, and they had a hard time keeping their goggles clear.  The freezing rain kept falling, and poor Pat's goggles got so icy, he couldn't see a thing, and he ended up taking them off.

Such weird weather - freezing rain doesn't usually happen in subzero temperatures.  We assumed a warmer layer existed above us, and precip fell through the colder surface layer, turning into freezing rain.

Results of skiing in freezing rain

By day's end, my jacket and pants were coated with a thin, white film.  My goggles had a layer of ice around the rim.  Once inside, small shards of frost and ice flew off as I removed my outerwear.

Yes, the weather was frigid.  Yes, skiing in freezing rain was a challenge.  But the snow was wonderful, the company fun, and surviving today's zero temps made me feel pretty bada$$. 

Oh yeah - still way better than being at work!


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