Checker Mountain: Back road

Meh, you can get a couple of turns in here.

Final Ski of my Secret Glade

After a season of snow spent recovering from my knee surgery..this season has been really pleasant.  Good snow depths, the snow stuck around all season with no mid winter thaw out. Checker Mountain was a consistent source of joy and sweat.  My $25.00 county park pass was my season pass for skiing. Pretty good deal.

I could tell all 7 of my readers where this glade is...and I feel confident that none of you will show up there. Its not worth traveling for,  I spend at least twice if not four times as much time slogging up the hill as coming down...in perfect snow and I'm on top of my game...this hill is still slow by any mountains standard.

I am keeping a secret that no one else wants to know.

I did more trespassing than most winters...I still consider trespassing to be something you have to be open to doing to get the most fun. Mostly front yards...and some of my tracks were covered up by morning.

 old tracks and new. The snowshoe/dog walk path coming up the middle

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. 

                      

                               

                

                                                    

                        

peregrine radama 2 tent review.

So I picked up this Radama tent from Peregrine and have put it through some tests. High mountains in Washington,  Michigan Spring, and a trip to Devils Lake.  

Over all it is a very solid little tent.  The two doors are nice, the reflective cords are nice, comfortable for two and luxury for one.  For the price- serviceable tent fit for modest adventures.

                               

late season Pere Marquette fly fishing

 What follows are pictures from a late season fly fishing trip to Baldwin, MI.   Only one Fish was actually caught..well it was on my hook and as I reached in for it...lil brown trout fell off into the cold water.

 These maps are 50 years old and were used by my Great Uncle Dave. the notes are all his, these were the maps we used to navigate around. Baldwin hasn't changed a ton in the last 50 years. I think that over all that is a good thing.

 

This was also the first fishing trip when all three boys and dad went on. That was worth celebrating right there.

We cranked out the CBs and some small Dual Band radios as well. All in all it was fun trip.