This is Part 2 of Rachel’s Winter Series. To read Part 1, click here.

In my job, I often get asked what I like to do on the weekends. For me, the answer depends on the season.

During the summer I love to go to the beach and visit farmers markets. In the winter, I’m cross country skiing. When spring rolls around, I’m prepping my garden for vegetable planting. In the fall, I’m eating orchard donuts like every other Michigander and preparing for ReThink West Michigan. Embracing all 4 seasons is something I love about living in West Michigan.

But in my quest to become a downhill skier, I knew I couldn’t wait for snow to fall to prepare for the season. Sometimes the winter ski season is short in the lower peninsula, or can be punctuated by periods of winter rain which ruin the snow base. You must be ready to embrace it.

So in preparation for the downhill ski season, I did a lot of research this past summer. Mainly, I wanted to invest in a pair of downhill skis. One of the deterrents from this sport is price. Cost can be a barrier. You need the right equipment, clothing, lift pass, and sometimes a hotel stay. But I knew if I wanted to make skiing a hobby, it would be better to invest in my own equipment versus renting.

I’m a huge fan of Facebook marketplace. That’s  where I got my last pair of cross country ski boots. But after researching downhill skis and all of the different specifications for different conditions, and the higher chances of injury, I decided it would be best to go to the experts.

I visited Great Lakes Outpost in Grandville during their big tent sale this August and got outfitted by Andy. He said the owner started the store because he wanted one place to get all of the gear for all of the sports he loved. After asking about my experience level, height, weight, shoe size, and where I’d be skiing (northern Michigan of course!), Andy got me decked out. I left my skis at the shop to be waxed and picked them up a week later on my way out to Holland State Park for a swim.

Is it weird that the thing I’m most excited about is my helmet? It is snug and cozy and I walked around the house in it for a while one Saturday morning. Of course, a Hello West Michigan sticker was the first to go on in pride of place.

All of my new gear, and my 9-year-old ski jacket from Meijer is waiting patiently in my closet for the first snow.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of Rachel’s Winter series.

About Rachel

Rachel is the Executive Director of Hello West Michigan. She grew up on the east side of Michigan not knowing there was a difference between “east side” and “west side” ….until she moved here for college and experienced it for herself. You’ll typically find Rachel at a community event during the week, or at the beach, picking blueberries, or cross county skiing on the weekends (although not all on the same weekend).