Will you be walking in a winter wonderland or finding proof that hell actually has frozen over and it's located in the northern United States? The answer depends on how well you prepare for your expedition. Many tourists travel north with rapturous visions of gliding through the crystalline powder on skis or a snowmobile, but few pack accordingly. Ski lodges are filled with droves of such sheepish souls huddling around the fireplace and sipping overpriced cocoa in their chic but useless coats. Even those with expensive parkas may find themselves under-equipped. In truly extreme climates, the "common sense" measure of dressing warmly is not sufficient. To get the most of your winter travels, here are a few things to consider.

1. Your cell phone will not save you.

The cell phone has become, in the minds of most of us, an all-purpose emergency preparation. If your car breaks down, you have your insurance company on speed dial. Break an ankle jogging and even if you're alone in a large city park you can call for help. While I encourage people to carry cell phones for safety, understand that you will probably not be able to get a signal in the mountains, especially in remote areas. If you get injured cross country skiing or snowmobile riding, you won't be able to summon help with the tough of a button.

2. Carry flares and a whistle and know the universal Morse code for "SOS".

Three short chirps, three long chirps, three short chirps. Or, as they say in HAM radio circles, "dit, dit, dit, da, da, da, dit, dit, dit". Those sounds are the universal distress signal, and though it seems archaic to me after years of living in the Midwest, I learned that signal as a child growing up in the mountains. If you get lost or injured and are able to blow the SOS signal on your whistle, there is a good chance someone will recognize it and know you aren't just an angry bird or annoying kid making noise.

Emergency flares are the next line of defense. In essence, these are fireworks used to signal search and rescue teams. If you are missing in the mountains and someone is worried about you, chances are the Civil Air Patrol is on the job. When I was a little girl, I was immensely proud of my father, a retired pilot, when he worked as a volunteer searching for missing hikers and downed planes. I now know the CAP is composed of hobbyist pilots who really just want an excuse to fly. It becomes a question of "who is rescuing whom?" Are the

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