...that's how cold it was today.
On the day where I shouted from a platform that I would no longer be using the $6 a day convenience of Taxi's, Mother Nature threw me a curveball. So, another $12 gone!
It was honestly so cold today that you couldn't stand outside with skin exposed for more than 10 minutes. Now, we've heard of horror stories that involve 30-second frost bite and winds that blow so cold and so fast that the gloss on your eyes freezes them open but, rest assured, we're not at that stage yet.
I take comfort in the fact that some of the local people, who have come to be my friends, laugh at my amazement with all we discover. To them it's just another day in the place they've called home for years. To me, it's all a revelation. They brushed off today's weather with a mere "...just you wait until January...". Troopers.
It's making me wonder if we'll really be able to handle this cold. I know we're equipped but, are we prepared?
It's a dryer cold than we've grown up with. At home (home being Ontario), -20 will actually make you feel like Hell is freezing over. Up here, it's cold . . really really cold . . . but how it feels cold is different. I can never explain things properly and I'm not scientist so, all I can tell you is that my bones don't ever feel cold. Does that make sense? My face gets dry, red, and cold but, my core isn't shivering underneath my hoodies and jackets. Follow?
I'm going to get way ahead of myself and say that for anyone in Southern Ontario, or out West, your -10's and 20's feel a lot colder, even though they aren't. Damp = colder. So, although it's really alarming to see numbers up here like -23 and -36, it's not like we're frozen-in and are huddled around a Garbage Can Fire praying for sunlight. It's livable and functional. So, to anyone worried about the weather up here . . . so far, so good.
I think it's appropriate to once again press the issue of intelligent preparation. We read every possible blog post and every possible piece of safety information possible in preparing for our trip. It may have cost A LOT more than I first thought but, every penny has been worth it. Some people will tell you that you don't need a "Canada Goose" or "Baffin" style of Arctic-wear. There is no right or wrong answer. Put it this way: Just get it. It's pricey, it's big, it's overkill but, your asses are covered.
The old saying "it's better to be safe that sorry" applies perfectly here. YES, you can find cheaper jackets that will get you through winter; same with boots. But these products are built to be "All or Nothing" kinds of gear. In -36 windy weather, I can throw on just my jacket over a Golf-T-Shirt and be perfectly warm, and I could probably wear my boots without socks. They're just that good.
Now, on the flip-side. . . I haven't worn my boots yet. I haven't needed to. The snow isn't high and the winds haven't been all that crazy just yet. With my new ambition to quit cabs however, I'm sure a daily regiment of boot wearing will begin in the days to come.
Oh, and Operation: Celebrity is still a "Go"!
Stay Warm Everyone.
3 comments:
I hear you on the having to be prepared, at first I couldn't believe what we spent on clothes but now I'm so glad we did. We just picked up our Canada Goose jackets and I have to say the hood makes a difference! My Northface jacket was fine but when the wind would hit the hood would just blow off. I'm the primary dog walker in our household which means I have to take the dog out 3 times a day for 45 minute walks and last night was cold and the wind was brutal! The kind of wind that freezes your face and eyelashes. You guys probably already have some but the one thing I'm finding that is saving me on these late night walks are my fleece polartec balaclavas, so far its my favourite piece of equipment when it comes to protecting my face and it was pretty cheap at 20.00 compared to some of the stuff we bought. I hear you on the boots too, we haven't needed our heavy duty Baffin ones yet. Also I find the smartwool socks are the best out of all of the different socks I brought with me. Stay warm!!!
It's true about the different cold. Being a fairly recent addition to Southern Ontario after a life in Manitoba, I can assure you that I would choose -40*C in Manitoba over a -15*C in S. Ontario any day!
It's a dry cold.
Thanks so much for the posts!
Karyn, we totally agree with you on the Ontario cold. Just yesterday I was talking to my parents and they were complaining about the late evening, +2 weather they were having . . . I was both jealous and thankful at the same time!
Great posts, thanks again!
Post a Comment