It was very cold in Hunter yesterday, but skiing is, after all, a winter sport. The place was mostly empty, save for the hardy ones.
Saw quite a few college students, which, along with the frigid conditions, reminded me of an adventurous ski vacation from my college days. In fact, one of my ski buddies from those days (and a close friend since 1970), was with us in Hunter. He attended NJIT in Newark, while I went to Fordham in The Bronx. Our winter and spring breaks always coincided, so we spent some time skiing in those days.
During the winter of 1981, I was driving a ’77 Honda Civic that wasn’t especially happy in very cold temperatures. I think the overnight low that week was 23 below zero (F). That poor little red car did not want to start in the morning, so we became expert in rolling starts (use 3rd gear). We charged the battery by running it for an hour, covered the engine block with an old blanket, or simply surrendered and opted not to ski that day.
These days, we keep our cars up-to-date and tuned for winter — and we all have AAA memberships.
Since then, I’ve spent ski weeks up at Sugarloaf in Maine — for six years in a row, all in January. Skiing in -25 deg. F with crazy wind is harsh. HARSH. After those experiences, I no longer get cold on the slopes.