Never Too Cold To Play!

By Amy PatenaudeSki/Outdoor Writer

“There’s no bad weather, only bad clothes.”
I’ve heard this said many times by people that like to play outdoors. I’ve said it to friends too, but this cold and snowy weather has been challenging.
This week I wore all or a combination of these articles of clothing: face mask, baklava, neck gaiter, goggles, ear-band, hat, turtleneck, fleece sweater, down coat, windproof shell, long underwear, insulated pants, wool socks, insulated boots, insulated mittens and chemical hand warmers.
I went skiing and snowshoeing. I stayed warm. No frostbite or cold toes for me. I adjusted the layers I wore to make sure I didn’t sweat while moving and added layers when I cooled down. And I went inside before I got cold.

At the beginning of the cold snap I skied in lovely falling snow at Pats Peak and their new lift to the top is fast and the loading carpet is fun. My team races in the adult league on Monday nights!
More snow fell and then the mercury nearly fell out of the bottom of the thermometer. -10, -20 and on the mountaintops -30 F degrees was reached. YIKES! What a week.
It wasn’t too cold to play and play on the snow we did!
On Christmas day it was chilly but it was snowing. I met my friends at Mount Sunapee and we arrived just before for the lifts opened. We started out on the North Peak Triple chair while the majority of people were in line at the Sunapee Express lift to the summit. We felt like we were sneaking our fresh tracks for three runs in a row on Flying Goose. We delighted in finding untracked powder during each run.

We then spent our time in the Sun Bowl. Although there wasn’t much sun there was lots of fluffy new snow to make us happy. Lapping Skyway and Wingding was great fun. The cold temperature kept the snow light and fluffy.
This was the busiest Christmas morning I can remember and certainly the fresh powder snow encouraged many to get out early.
The next day my friend Bria and I met in Lincoln to attempt to snowshoe Mount Hancock. We didn’t have an early start in hopes that the temperature would rise into positive digits. At the hairpin turn on the Kanc Highway we arrived to discover that the parking area was not plowed (Yes I wrote an email to the US Forest Service!). I had a shovel in my car and we cleared just enough to allow me to park my car in the entrance of the lot. We jealously watched a jeep blow right through the snowbank and into the lot. These were two more snowshoers starting off after 10 am with us.
Long story short, Bria and I didn’t summit both peaks.

All four of us summited North Hancock but we had difficultly on the ridge towards Hancock’s South Peak. We were in the clouds, snow blanketed trees hid the trail and we were moving slowly. All of us decided to turn around.
We descended North Hancock following our snowshoe track and it began to snow hard.
Bria and I decided to head straight back so we’d get out well before dark.
The other pair separated with one taking off to run up South Peak from the bottom of the south loop and leaving the other behind.
Bria and I stuck together. We were warm and happy and planned to come back another day, maybe on a clear winter day. The worst part was the drive back on the Kanc to Lincoln, it was a near white-out and the road was covered by several slippery inches of snow.
Charlie and I went cross-country skiing at Bretton Woods and on the Franconia Inn’s trails. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are great activities when wind-chill is a serious factor. These slower paced sports in the woods where the trees hamper the wind make for a comfortable outing on the coldest of days.
At Bretton Woods the tremendous Mount Washington Hotel deflected the wind as we crossed the snow covered golf course to reach the woods. The temperature was only -7F but there were many people out kicking and gliding and skating. People were even taking lessons.
I can’t say enough about the snow conditions. The trails were perfectly snow carpeted, groomed and edged with magical snow-frosted trees.
While skiing on the Franconia Inn’s trails I detoured off the Ham Branch Loop and headed up the Coppermine Brook Trail to Bridal Veil frozen Falls. I was quite comfortable and the packed powder trail had been well broken out by snowshoers. I made good time to reach the end of the trail at the Falls. The wall of icicles on both sides of the ice flow covered water were prettier than Christmas lights.
Returning down the Coppermine Trail I enjoyed the 2.5 mile long downhill back home. I met four other snowshoers out on the trail too.
Here’s a surprise, I also enjoyed a warm rest day. I stayed home and read a book and we went to see the new Star Wars movie. “May the Force be with you” and keep you warm.

I skied Cannon Mountain when it was a real -22F at the summit and the wind was nipping my nose through my baklava and fleece neck gaiter. Packed Powder is the word. Again I can’t say enough how perfect the snow conditions are out there!
Cannon’s Zoomer chair has more protection from the wind and Zoomer and Avalanche Trails were super-duper. I took the Tram but I wasn’t crazy enough to ride the Cannonball Quad to the summit but many people seemed happy to do it. The most runs I could make in a row was three and then I would go inside to take a break. I like my nose and wanted to keep it.
Oh and what about that full moon! I ended my holiday week where it began at Pats Peak. I went night skiing and from the top of the mountain the rising moon looked big and bright. 100% of their trails are open and the Hurricane was a smooth packed powder dream.
Don’t let the cold keep you inside.
Have Fun!