Dress for success.

I hate the cold.

There. I said it.

Seems almost sacrilegious, when you consider this is a ski blog. But as much as I love to ski, I absolutely hate to be cold. And the only way to get around that is to dress for the conditions. Today the temperature was brutal. It was about minus 3F, and with the wind chill, about minus 25F. Tough to dress for, I know. I think I wore everything I owned.

Which leads me to the best way to dress for thte cold: Layer. Layers trap warm air, so you stay warmer. Another benefit -- you can tailor your clothing to the conditions. So if you get warm during the day, you can just pare down.

What sort of layers? Start with a base layer that's not too heavy. Most important, be sure that it's not made of cotton. Because cotton holds moisture, it can keep perspiration next to your body. And a wet body is a cold body. Instead, use a base layer made of a fabric designed to transfer moisture away from your skin. This will keep you dryer, and a lot warmer.

After that, consider a fleece, maybe a vest, and then your jacket or shell, depending on the temperature, and you're good to go!

Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, an internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.