Hello! Winter!

hello? gloves, where are you?

Over the last two nights, it’s snowed about two feet. I woke to the sound of driveways being shoveled. My feet are snuggled into my warmest cold-weather boots. Winter has officially made its entrance.

Live from Chamonix this morning.

And, and, I still haven’t the faintest clue where half of my skiing gear is. When, may I ask, did it become the last weeks of November?

In my mind, I’m that person who files away their winter wear in spring with blissful order: skis waxed for the off-season; skins slipped onto savers; clothes washed and folded into neat storage bags.

In reality, I’m just heaving everything into duffels with little rhyme or reason. My ski boots probably have a crust of mud and pine needles from that final warm-weather excursion. My skis are piled into a corner. At least my goggles have all been dried out.

My complete lack of spring order means fall inevitably becomes a serious prep session for the winter season ahead. The following list helps me get my ducks in order before the lifts start spinning (which apparently is just days away…yikes and yay!)

From an unforgettable New Year’s Pass Lap Photo: Andy Cochrane

Outerwear:
Storage space in France is a little tighter than back in the States. For me, everything’s stacked in a damp basement garage, leaving most of my garments with a bit of funkiness. To kill the funk, I check the forecast for the sunniest, warmest day. Then I drag all my layers into the daylight, lay ’em out for as many hours as sunshine allows, burning off any odors. I find this works far better than going straight into the washer, which seems to reinforce the moldiness. But that’s the next step after some sunshine—piling everything into the washer with a plain unscented, “natural-ish” detergent. You can buy detergent specifically for outerwear, but I honestly find the regular stuff works just fine, and those extra dollars can go towards your first slopeside hot chocolate. The next step? Crucial. After they’re dry: an extra dryer cycle. Or, if you’re in full Euro minimalism because you lost the battle to buy a dryer like me this year, line-dry, then run a warm iron over everything. It’s this extra heat on the clothes that resets the waterproofing.