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tip: if you are using a modem you may need to leave this page for a while as there are a lot of picture on it. (grab a snack or something) if some of the pictures don;t appear right click the empty place & click show picture.

if you have hi-speed access then you shouldn't have to worry a about it

november 7th "russian revolution holiday"...

...a long weekend... a good reason to get away & go snowboarding. see video

one thing we learned from last year is
you gotta have the gear
and boy does it make a world of difference

out here the first thing you need is a vehicle that can get you 600 km there & 600km back in time for work monday morning...
on russian roads that are iced over mostly
(it is called winter asphalt. fills in most the pot holes but tends to make the road a little slicker than desired)

so we traded our faithful old reliable accura legend for this japanese turbo diesel 4 runner & it seems to do the trick

(just to clarify this was a good strip of  road & was just for "new car diagnostic" purposes only :)

yes remnants of the old ussr (it is reflecting the flash, it not lighted)

picture time (see spring boarding page for a summer pic in the same spot)

the scenic drive

ro at the wheel

yes they had diesel

sure took long enough

[notice the steering wheel on the wrong side... like i said it is japanese]

flying by everyone on the road

check out the ice crystals on the sun roof

we arrived 6:30am my friend drove (he likes driving all night & then snowboarding all day.. he is incredible, he didn't even want to go to bed after snowboarding all day) i on the other hand...

... popped the seats down & made a bed & slept till morning light... & then snowborded all day :)

we snowboarded for 3 days.. this is ro

so is this

& this (cool christmas trees in the back huh?)

it was -20 on this day & here i am warm & dry ... totally protected from the elements & enjoying every minute of it.

cafe at the top of the hill

(ltor: ro, uri, kostia (the guy who drove all night), me)

more views

it was warmer today could take the ol' mask off

waiting for lunch... at the stolovia (dinning hall)

gotta brush ur teeth some time in the midst of all this fun

notice the rope in the back under the car... we were pulling people out of the snow... being the good samaritans that we are...