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Show MOTimteiiim ltlJ.L.lMMl So bytfanChalat Stuff mom never told you about living in the mountains I guess there are some things you just have to learn for yourself. For instance, if you are a first generation Parkite there is probably a lot that your mom didn't tell you about surviving a winter at 7,000 feet above sea level. She probably told you not to talk with your mouth full and never to eat with your elbows on the table but did she remember to sprinkle cayenne pepper in your socks or to make sure you carried an avalanche shovel in your school book bag? I thought not. In fact, when it comes to advice for the snowbound, even Ann Landers has been strangely silent, which is not surprising. She probably dispenses her advice from a nice warm high-rise in Palm Springs. It is a safe bet she has never had to pole vault over a snowbank to get to her office. Obviously, she would not be the ideal person to ask what kind of boots to wear on Main Street in Park City when the slush is ankle deep or what to do when your car lands in a snowdrift on Parley's Summit. Mom and Ann's solution would be to move to a warmer climate. But what if you want to stick it out? Who can you turn to? Well, to a large degree you will have to trust your instincts. Most of today's self-help books are more interested in helping you with your financial portfolio than keeping your feet from freezing. But there are a few time-tested mountain adages which I would be happy to pass along. Now that we are up to our eyebrows in snow, they might be more helpful than knowing that white wine goes with fish and that it is gauche to wear white shoes after Labor Day. The most important advice I can offer is to maintain your "core heat" at all costs. The object is to never become chilled (a state from which it is hard to recover). Wear a hat. The prevailing school of thought is that 90 percent of your body heat is lost off the top of your head. It is not considered preposterous among mountain dwellers to wear a wool hat to bed. Honest. Always carry an extra pair of dry socks. When you are cold and miserable, warm dry feet will cheer you up and give you the will to continue shoveling that endless driveway. Never leave the kindling box empty. You will hate yourself when you come home to a cold house and the woodpile is covered with a fresh foot of powder. It is especially important to replenish the wood supply if your roommate is going to be home first. If you are planning to leave your car parked for more than two hours, do not set the emergency brake. The wet brake shoes could easily become frozen in the you-aren't-going-anywhere position. Clear skies at night are a plumber's delight. Loosely translated this bit of mountain folklore means that your water pipes are more likely to freeze on a clear night than when it is overcast or snowing. Never let your guard down. Let faucets drip whenever the temperature might drop much below zero, or cut a notch in the washers so they drip all winter. In the winter, you car's emergency kit should contain a shovel, windshield scraper, down parka, dry gas, ether, chains, sand, a candy bar, flashlight and an assortment of extra mittens, hats and scarves. It wouldn't hurt to also have along a two-way radio, sleeping bag, snow shoes and flares. It is also helpful to know the Salt Lake Avalanche Forecast Center's phone number which is 1-364-1581. Their daily taped report is one of the most accurate assessments of current snow conditions available. There are other tips too. For instance, it is wise to preheat your pajamas before diving under cold percale sheets. Better yet, switch to flannel. But then, maybe your mom told you that. |