SEPTEMBER BAR CODE: The gear Joaquin requires in order to properly swerve and overcorrect
Photos: Morgan Meredith
If powder skiers ever seceded from the Union to form an independently governed state—no I’m not talking about Canada here—the POWDER Magazine Cop Car would be their symbol of freedom. Joaquin stands for ditching work, chasing storms, and traversing this great land in search of all experiences to be had afloat big sticks that ride on the roof.
Spend a few months on the road in a Ford Crown Vic and you’ll quickly discover the essentials: like a moustache. A regal coiffure popular from decades past, you’ll grow one for the same reason you’ve shunned the real world in search of snow: because you can.
We’ve compiled a collection of other road trip essentials appropriate for driving into the great white unknown. These products were given the proper test by Senior Editor and Officer Matt Hansen on his 3,500 mile road trip through nine states in Joaquin this past winter. With a little preparation and a bit of luck, chance will take care of the rest and you’ll be neck deep in no time.
1. Driving Jacket $10
[your local thrift store]
"Walk into any roadside saloon with a frou-frou techy piece and you might get your ass kicked. So go down to the thrift store and find yourself a good, proletariat jacket. The previous owner's name on a patch is a bonus." –Matt Hansen, POWDER senior editor
2. Arc’Teryx Stingray Pant $350
[866.458.2473; arcteryx.com]
Any good ski road trip includes variable weather at lower elevations. In it for the long haul, the Stingray Pant from Arc’Teryx features Gore-Tex Softshell for protection from slush, sleet and coffee dribble. Forgetting to take them off for a few days is no big deal as the Stingrays provide comfort behind the wheel and deep in the trenches of roadside objectives. And for lying on muddy ski area parking lots while putting chains on American rubber.
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3. Kincos Style 901 Ski Gloves $24
[800.547.8410; kinco.com]
Shredding $100 ski shop gloves faster than Hjorliefson shreds 3,000 foot Coast Range faces, patrollers and lifties look to the Kinco’s 901 for durability in cold climates. You’ll appreciate having them in the trunk when it’s time to chain up in sideways blowing sleet. At $24, you might as well buy a pair or two to ski in when you get there.