the Adventure Lifestyle magazine

essential items 1. DISPOSABLE CAMERA Perfect for covert candid snaps of loked-out locals, these gadgets are also the perfect no-risk, on-hill documenters. Small , light and virtually indestructible, throw-away cameras can be subjected to tortures (snow, heat, wipeouts) that will expand your photographic range. 2. RADAR DETECTOR The Northwest is full of wide open spaces perfect for high-speed, autobahn-style travel. Unfortunately Cal ifornia and Oregon have some of the highest speeding fines in the US. So if you've got one, bring it, and you might enjoy a police-free mission. 3. SLEEPING BAG Unless you're a hiqh-falootin-jibber (Oregonian slang for "wealthy snowboarder"), you may want to bring some sleep gear along. You never know when you could luck out and wind up on the floor of some baqeler's (Oregonian slang for "poor snowboarder") crusty lair, wrapped in a moldy dog blanket, dreaming about your fresh, clean sleeping bag back home. 4. SKATEBOARD The Northwest is home to some of the country's best concrete skateparks. Many are new, most are free and require no pads. Consult a skateboard magazine for a list of locations, or ask locals for information. Most major towns have some nice little structures for four-wheeled fun. 5. PREVENTATIVE FIRST AID KIT The road can wear you out, especially when you're riding daily. Add to this a bit of nightl ife and you'll be sick in no time. Preventative first aid is a state of mind as much as carrying a kit of supplies. To stay healthy, drink plenty of water and avoid multiple fast-food meals a day. For a higher-performance trip try immune system stimulants like Yin-Chow or Echinacea, sports injury remedies like Tiger Balm and Arnica (to help heal bruises, strains, pulled muscles), multi-vitamins and spirulina. All of this is available at any decent natural foods store. wha t to expect First and foremost, expect the unexpected ... the road can be merciless and miraculous. At the resorts of the Pacific Northwest, particularly the small ones, you will encounter a refreshing lack of pretentiousness. Instead of thousand-dollar, fur­ trimmed gold-lame ski fashions, you'll find ten-dollar flannels and budget raingear. The resort staff is generally also more laid back and accepting at these small hil ls than you may have noticed at the larger resorts. As a young snowlover on a mission, you are catered to rather than condescended. The type of service you'll get is simply unimaginable in the swanky bourgeois world of rocky mountain resorts. Often family- or community-run, these resorts embody the funky dichotomy of the Northwest: rural and suburban middle-class families rub up against all kinds of sporty tech ed-out urbanites in a neutral environment. While you may find yourself catching some flack for blatantly rude or reckless behavior, this homegrown environment is generally free from the corporate attitude that prevails where money meets snow-covered mountains.

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