Sunday River, ME: Drive and Arrival

Alright so spontaneously due to business, somehow I will be snowboarding. An early start considering the weather we have been having. Thanks Giving 'season opener' interesting.
My destination is Sunday River, Maine. The drive up was no let down. Everything from searching for gas stations that exist on signs but not in real life, to keeping eyes peeled for deadly moose while getting run off the road by a semi occured. You must earn your lines. Oh, not to mention the roughly 3 hours of driving through impenetrable fog.
The hotel/motel whatever it may be classified as is welcoming considering that there are a total of 2 resorts other than directly on the slopes. If I wasn't having such a short stay I would have spent twice as much for slopeside. However, considering I have WiFi, TV, a microwave, 1 hot pocket, no plates, and 6 beers, this place is a castle.

Anyway, tomorrow I will be hitting the mountain all day and seeing how good the supposed 4 trails that are currently open are. For the record, 3 of those 4 trails are actually Upper, Middle, and Lower Sections of the same trail. No judgements here...save it.

Oh forgot to mention thanks to a good friend who came half way up, I got a personal tour of the "Cider House Rules" property, and saw the house where Moby Dick was written; among other things. Pretty cool.

Review: Triple 8 Bumsavers Impact Shorts

They come in a mesh carrying bag with shoulder straps. Useless in my opinion for the shorts, but the bag would be good to put your dirty socks/clothes in while on a trip

Construction:
-Shorts are made of a great micro-mesh which is extremely breathable.
-Waistband is a thick heavy duty elastic, however it does not have drawstrings so they must be bought true to size.
- Seaming is double stitched seems fairly durable
-SUPER light!!!! I have to say I almost can't believe how light they are

Padding:
- Padding is perfectly placed throughout the shorts (they were designed for skating/boarding so this makes sense)
-Padding is fully integrated so it is not removable. Annoying if you need to customize ur padding areas, although for me they are placed perfectly
- Padding is just thick enough and for more flexability they are scored (small but amazing aspect!) When I bend my legs I almost don't even feel resistance from the pads.

OVERALL:

These shorts are extremely comfortable considering the fact they have 11 pads in them covering the entire buttocks area and the whole side of your upper leg. I purposely did a few "butt plants" on my hard wood floors to see if these things do their job. Result: the cushioning is amazing although I would say that for extreme circumstances, or long falls they may be lacking (but then again if you are falling 12-15 feet I guess any padding would make a minimal impact difference. Overall I am happy with my purchase and would say if you are on a budget, or looking for decent padding short of titanium body armor go for the buy!

Recommended Use: Any resort riding, park, Jumps not exceeding 10 ft verticals, glades, tame backcountry

Not Recommended for: Jumping off tall buildings, saving the world , or jumping Summit to Base in one single bound

Scale of 1-10: 7.65

Review: DaKine Scout Gloves

Originally submitted at evo

DaKine Scout Gloves: The DaKine Scout Gloves are designed specifically for those looking for a glove that will last all-season riding. The Weathershield neoprene construction keeps moisture out while allowing perspiration to pass through while the Toughtek palm keeps your gloves intact after rubbin...

DaKine Scout Gloves

Best Deal Ever!!!!

By JohnnyShredsAlot from A Mountain Near You on 10/26/2009

4out of 5

Sizing: Feels true to size
Pros: Water Resistant, Good Grip, Warm, Windproof, Snug Fit, Durable, Comfortable
Best Uses: Backcountry
Describe Yourself: Advanced
Gear Usage: Snowboarding, Shredding all day, Winter Sports

For under $30 these gloves are absolutely amazing! For one they have the removable liner gloves...great to wear on the drive up or while not on the slopes. Also this way you can adjust how warm you want them. Grip is amazing, waterproofing is great and warm!
You could even throw on a coat of the spray on Nik Wax to make them even more waterproof

(legalese)