Valentines snow storm

this post has been hanging around unfinished.  It was cold on valentines day.  these were dark days with cold walks. 

ski kit:

Salomon XADV boots - continuing to perform

The view in my trunk: two helmets, one circular saw, pair of adjustable poles, jumper cables, Garmont Veloces,  Garmont Monashees with cable bindings, the white whales ( a waxable karhu guide?) with the SNS BC ADV Raid manual binding, Work harness, 2 meter antenna, gaiters and the XADVs.

Two years now since my first review of the XADV and I continue to be impressed with how much fun I can have on the these boots and binding.

The replaced zipper closures on the front have been solid and the integrated gaiter is really a great touch.

The picture below is from a four turn wonder hill in the neighborhood.  The majority of the the time these boots are pushing skis through thickets and in between trees- but  I can't figure out how to photograph those line properly.

I have manged to break something. The grey plastic that surrounds the black button/pivot has been cracked. Does not seem to effect performance at all.

rather be off piste- short trip report to checker mountain

Kalamazoo and the rest of west michigan got dumped on..super bowl sunday was used to ski all the hills that were paved- everyone else watched TV..i had the hills of west main to myself.  I skied some streets that I have had my eye on for a some time now.

Skiing really opened up to me when I realized that I live in a state where sudden snow falls can make streets, front yards, grave yards...and all sorts of urban landscapes completely wild and solitary again, even if only for a few hours after nightfall.  Yes, there is the occasional car, but you have planes that fly over any wilderness area in the United States..and considering it requires me only to step outside of my house.

So I toured for turns all over Kalamazoo's West Main Hill. I skied some steep streets,  post holed up to my thighs on the school grounds hill.  Put some stylish "S" marks on front lawns. This was vandalism and trespassing of course..very temporary though.

today- checker mountain/ markin glen was hit. My friends put on the plastics and rode lifts while i went xcd with system bindings. lots of up track for some really spectacular powder.