GHENT, W.Va. – While most people just wanted to stay indoors Tuesday, there were some fearless athletes who hit the slopes. In fact, Tom Wagner, the director of the Ski Patrol at Winterplace in Raleigh County, calls it the perfect place to be.
“I want to say it’s a blue bird day. There’s not a cloud in the sky but the temperatures right now are hovering right around 2-below zero.” That was around 9:30 Tuesday morning.
Already several dozen skiers had hit the slopes and more would follow throughout the day.
Wagner said as long as you’re properly dressed for the slopes a few degrees below zero shouldn’t hamper your fun.
“You want to have a base layer, a mid-layer of insulation and then you’ll probably have an outer shell that’s going to keep the wind out,” explained Wagner. “The other thing is to make sure you’ve got the proper materials. You do not want to dress in cotton or blue jeans. You want to have some synthetic materials or wool that will provide insulation.”
Don’t forget your ski goggles or a face mask when you’re zooming down the trails.
Wagner said they make sure everyone is properly dressed before they head out on the slopes. The patrols will keep a close eye on skiing skills, making sure no one is in distress. They also have frostbite signs posted throughout the resort.
It can take as little as five minutes for bare skin to feel the impact, of frostbite. That’s why he urged skiers to take a “ski smart” approach.
“What we recommend is take a few runs and then go inside and warm back up and come back out and take a few more.”
Canaan Valley Ski Resort in Tucker County closed its slopes Tuesday because of the cold. The temperature bottomed out in the mountains at -21.