Weather in winter

[AlexeyD]

There is already a lot of good information here, so I'll add just a couple of general points and observations:

1) As others have mentioned, gear for a wide range of temps is essential. The typical winter scenario is that you start out on a cold morning at the trailhead, quickly warm up as you hike through the woods, then get cold again as you go above treeline and the wind hits you. Your gear needs to be versatile enough to handle all of these situations quickly and effectively.

2) Can't stress enough the importance of wind protection. Having a long history of winter mountaineering in the white mountains of New England (which, believe it or not, are usually as or more severe in winter above treeline than the CO mountains), I consider a mask/balaclava and goggles to be absolutely one of the "winter essentials" in the mountains.

3) Except in very rare circumstances, you don't really need things to be waterproof in winter. This is particularly true in the cold, dry conditions typically experienced in CO in winter (as opposed to, say, the Cascades). Even in a snowstorm, snow tends to sluff off of most outer layers, unless it's very close to freezing or you're working really hard and sweating. For that reason, and to avoid excess sweating and subsequent cold, I tend to go for highly breathable (soft shell or windbreaker) shell layers, or sometimes a lightweight down jacket (works great as an outer layer in dry, windy conditions, and extremely breathable).

4) Feet: don't forget about em! No use having all that fancy gear if you can't keep your toes warm. Foot warmth is a function of three things: boots, socks, and fit. Socks should be sufficiently warm for the conditions, but if they're so thick as to make your boots too small for you, your feet will lose circulation and get even colder. Also, boots and socks are the one exception to my point about waterproofing: they will generally be in the snow all day, so in this case waterproofing is a must. This means not only having your boots be waterproof, but also making sure snow doesn't get in from the top. Gaiters are very useful in that regard (though be aware that they can also cause your legs to overheat when you're working hard or it's relatively warm).

5) Hands: I typically use only two types of gloves. One is a soft, lightweight primaloft-filled glove with a very versatile temperature range; the other is a big, cold-weather mitten for when it gets real cold. I've found fleece or liner gloves to be mostly unnecessary: when my hands are too warm for the first type of glove I mentioned, I usually just take them off. I reserve fleece or softshell gloves for spring and summer mountaineering.

6) Down "puffies": make sure it has a hood. It only adds a little in weigh, and makes a world of difference in warmth and comfort. Also make sure you dry it out thoroughly after each trip. No matter how careful you are, it'll absorb some moisture, and keeping it crumpled up in the pack will make it lose its loft.

Of course, a lot of it comes down to personal preference and figuring out what works for you, based on your activities, body type, pace, and what kind of weather you go out in. Whatever you choose, though, make sure what you have is sufficient to keep you alive in case things don't quite go according to plan. Of course, that doesn't just apply to clothing, or just to winter.

Good luck!