This post is going to be boring, no pictures today. Why? Because I'm not going to take off my gloves to take a picture when it is freaking minus 26 degrees!? Also because my phone freezes up, and the batteries of my camera's don't last long in these temperatures anyway.
I'm on a winter road trip on my own to explore some of the skiing resorts in BC (British Columbia). Revelstoke (-15), Kicking horse (-26, my car still started! Barely...) and tomorrow Panorama and then Banff and Lake Louise (Last week -32 degrees Celsius).
I'm checking all these resorts out because I have a job as a ski-guide coming week and I need to know the resorts! It is basically the same thing as I have done in the summer: picking up a bunch of German tourists, instead of camping they stay in nice hotels and instead of hiking we go skiing! Looking forward to it. Just one week though, because afterwards my friend Lenny is visiting and we will do an amazing winter road trip together from Calgary back to Vancouver.
This is my first winter road trip, and if anybody ever does one, here are my tips:
- Do not leave your ski boots in the car. You will never get them on your feet when they are frozen.
- Take extra water, clothes, food, lighters, candles, blankets in case you get stuck in the snow.
- Make sure your car is in awesome condition so it actually starts when it's -26 Celsius. (Boo ya!)
- Get winter tires. (duh)
- Drive an all-wheel-drive car. It is not as much fun to drift on slippery sections, true, but you passengers will be happier. And your mommy too.
- Always make sure you have at least a quarter or even half a tank left in case you get stuck and need to keep warm.
- Park your car wherever you can in the spot where the sun will hit in in the morning. Saves you lots of ice scraping!
- Invest in seat heating. It will make you smile. Every. Time. Again.
- Buy the -40 window washer stuff. And do not dilute it with water like we do in The Netherlands. (I was just lazy and poured it in like it was, but I am really happy about my laziness a few weeks ago!)
And from recent experience:
- Don't buy fresh vegetables that cannot be frozen. I just tossed some mushy Bell peppers and celery stalks... Even apples can't handle this cold. (I guess I will make apple crisp soon...)
- Also, a cooler is unnecessary... Honestly, your whole car becomes a freezer.
- Don't even bother to bring extra water for emergencies. It will be ice and you won't get it out of the bottle anyway.
- Anytime you can, bring inside that 2L bottle of juice you just bought. It'll be a Popsicle with plastic around it in no time.
- Even lotions freeze in -20, so that hand creme in your car to avoid you hands to crack open from the cold? No use.
- The only thing that is still edible is peppermints.
- Don't even think you can go outside for 2 minutes without a jacket, a scarf, a toque (hat) and gloves.
Now, this might all sound terrible, but I am actually loving it! The adventure, the experience, the views and the snow. How all this is bringing people together to help each other out and start talking. Today, in the lodge in the resort, people were huddled around the one big fireplace and trying to warm up their socks, boots, feet and fingers. You might think we are all nuts to actually go out on the slopes again after all this and do another run in the Canadian cold!
(Well, I do agree a little, I gave up after three long runs and told myself -20 is just plain stupid. With a big smile on my face though...)
