THE SARTORIAL TRUTH OF IT, if you want to get into garb and snowflakes and famous figures and staying toasty and looking fashionable, is this: Most skiers and snowboarders are probably dressed a little bit like Santa Claus on most days of the year. Now wait one second there: We're not saying that people schussing down the slopes are rocking Santa's famous red coat and pants, nor do they have on a shiny black belt, nor do they have a cap that ripples in the wind, the way Santa's cap might when worn by someone heading down a hillside at impressive speed. But skiers know what Santa knows: You have to dress for the cold, and wear certain warmth-retaining items, if you want to weather the weather during the late fall and winter. As for totally and really and actually dressing like the jolliest of elves, though? That will happen, over and over, in cheerful profusion, at...
MT. ROSE SKI TAHOE... on Saturday, Dec. 9. That's the day of Reno's celebrated Santa Crawl — A LOT of Santa-fied revelers show up The Biggest Little City in the World that evening, believe it, to spread some lively cheer — and the nearby ski destination is celebrating with a discount. The ho, ho, ho of it? Show up at Mt. Rose on Dec. 9 dressed in your most Santa-riffic duds, and you'll score a $69 lift ticket, which'll save you cash, if you know your lift tickets. Want to dress as a snowman or an elf or a reindeer or a present with a bow on top? More than fine. But not fine? Just throwing a t-shirt on that has a picture of a candy cane on the front and hoping you'll schuss straight into the savings. This is a full-scale costume, head-to-tootsies type of thing, and you'll want to give your look some seriously merry effort (and, yes, you can wear your ski boots, because those are important and essential, so don't trade 'em out for pointy elf shoes).
THE DETAILS? Mt. Rose has 'em. Skiing down a slope with a bunch of other Santas? Way festive. Taking clothing tips from Kris Kringle? All skiers do when they don warm coats that stand up to flakeage, just like Santa's famous coat. But cast aside your usual outerwear, at least for a day, and really and truly try on Santa's togs for an afternoon of pole-wielding whimsy and cash-saving celebration.
