Canada is Too Darn Cold

I didn’t think it was physically possible to step out into -32 degree temps without crying from pain. The sky was a brilliant blue, clouded only by my breath as I clicked into my bindings. This weekend has been brutally cold. We live right now to watch the outside go by as we stay warm in the gym, with drinks like the Glacier Warmer and down duvets inside the Chateau Lake Louise.
I skipped cross-country skiing yesterday because 1) I don’t like to xcountry; 2) I didn’t want to put that much torque on my newly healed foot and 3) it was just too damn cold. The Canadian Rockies-and me, personally- are seeing record lows. I thought anything below -10 was reserved for treks to Everest basecamp. I suppose that you hit a point where the cold all feels the same and it’s just the amount of time you survive in it that makes the difference between -10 and -32.
But I had to sack up and go outside. It wasn’t going to get any warmer during my stay and I really wanted to see the mountain.
I donned a pair of thick fleece tights, soft shell ski pants underneath a wind and water proof shell pant. On top, I had a fleece sport bra, a thin base layer, a fleece sweater and a fleece pullover all underneath a down Helly Hansen jacket. I used toe and hand warmers, a thick neck gaiter, balaclava and even stuck a toe warmer inside the top of my helmet. I was as ready as I’d ever be. “This isn’t so bad,” I thought as I rode the lift. The gondola was still closed due to the cold.
After lunch and a witnessing of Lindsey Vonn’s ‘comeback’ (her run put her in 5th place after a meager 40th yesterday) Rob and I motivated each other into a journey to the Top of the World. Two six-minute chairlift rides and hell did freeze over. I was done skiing in one run. I couldn’t feel my hands. I had to pull my fingers out of their pockets and bunch them around the hardwarmers with my poles dangling around my wrists for the entire way to the bottom. It was a race to warmth. I grabbed my boot bag and charged for the shuttle door. Back at the Chateau Lake Louise I had tunnel vision. My bathtub drew me in. It took over an hour for me to feel warm up again. And to know that I will never ever want to climb Everest.