What Is Fun On Snowmobiles?
- Thread starter whitedust
- Start date
POLARISDAN
New member
no prob..he isnt new having signed up jan 2015..if he was id a been a little more sensitive..and i did acknowlege that there has been a bunch of it this winter between the boys..i guess thats what makes it fun and funny to me to be on here..as it has been said..u can only argue about oil and complain about no snow so much..it gets boring..sb has been keeping it interesting imo
For me it has changed.
Before I lived here, it was just getting the heck out of Illinois and into the UP. We rode in everything from pristine/empty trails to near whiteouts to -15 (during the day) to 37 and rain. The conditions did not matter so much as did just getting away.
Then I moved up here and loved just getting out. Had my first off trail experience about midday through that first season of living up here and was hooked instantly. The exploring new things and challenge of trying to get a shorty through the untracked snow was so much more fun for me than the trails (which I had already gotten pretty used to).
As the tracks got longer and abilities increased, so did the challenges and desire for deep snow. Making first tracks is deep snow became an obsession and lasted for many years.
Fast forward to 2009-2011...Two open heart surgeries, a couple of "regular" open heart surgeries and my mind still wanted to "go big/go deep", but my body just could not keep up. I did it, but it became less and less fun.
So the riding became almost frustrating at times. Tried to have fun and still did at times, but also got so worn out all I wanted to do was go home and cry to my mommy. Well, maybe not cry to my mommy, but go home and crash as well as sulk.
Slowly after the course of the past few years, I (more properly my ego) have been able to grow comfortable with the idea that I am no longer physically capable of doing the things I used to and still wanted to. I was never and will never be a top notch, technical boondocker. It now has become two fold. First and foremost, to be with good friends. The camaraderie is paramount. Secondly would be to explore. While I would love to push the limits and hit all the technical stuff, I know that I just cannot handle that for very long. A technical hill climb or two is fine, but a couple of digouts and you can stick a fork in me. So now it is just getting out and seeing new things. My desire to even go and ride trails in other areas I have never been before is gaining in interest to me.
I am still way more interested in getting off trail, but in a more laid back way. Logging roads, some technical, but not overly strenuous stuff is fine too, but give me good friends, some new things to see and I am in my glory.
In the future, I see getting out with Grace and showing her the ropes as best I can, then a few years later, her showing me how it's done those days.
I suppose mostly trail riding will eventually take over and I am fine with that, as long as they can become safer somehow. I don't ever see me getting out of the sport. Maybe a sled shaped ash box for my remains!
-John
Before I lived here, it was just getting the heck out of Illinois and into the UP. We rode in everything from pristine/empty trails to near whiteouts to -15 (during the day) to 37 and rain. The conditions did not matter so much as did just getting away.
Then I moved up here and loved just getting out. Had my first off trail experience about midday through that first season of living up here and was hooked instantly. The exploring new things and challenge of trying to get a shorty through the untracked snow was so much more fun for me than the trails (which I had already gotten pretty used to).
As the tracks got longer and abilities increased, so did the challenges and desire for deep snow. Making first tracks is deep snow became an obsession and lasted for many years.
Fast forward to 2009-2011...Two open heart surgeries, a couple of "regular" open heart surgeries and my mind still wanted to "go big/go deep", but my body just could not keep up. I did it, but it became less and less fun.
So the riding became almost frustrating at times. Tried to have fun and still did at times, but also got so worn out all I wanted to do was go home and cry to my mommy. Well, maybe not cry to my mommy, but go home and crash as well as sulk.
Slowly after the course of the past few years, I (more properly my ego) have been able to grow comfortable with the idea that I am no longer physically capable of doing the things I used to and still wanted to. I was never and will never be a top notch, technical boondocker. It now has become two fold. First and foremost, to be with good friends. The camaraderie is paramount. Secondly would be to explore. While I would love to push the limits and hit all the technical stuff, I know that I just cannot handle that for very long. A technical hill climb or two is fine, but a couple of digouts and you can stick a fork in me. So now it is just getting out and seeing new things. My desire to even go and ride trails in other areas I have never been before is gaining in interest to me.
I am still way more interested in getting off trail, but in a more laid back way. Logging roads, some technical, but not overly strenuous stuff is fine too, but give me good friends, some new things to see and I am in my glory.
In the future, I see getting out with Grace and showing her the ropes as best I can, then a few years later, her showing me how it's done those days.
I suppose mostly trail riding will eventually take over and I am fine with that, as long as they can become safer somehow. I don't ever see me getting out of the sport. Maybe a sled shaped ash box for my remains!
-John
T
Tracker
Guest
ok back to fun....
its the UP or Wisconsin woods. you wake up and its crispy cold out. about 10 degrees. slightly cloudy and grey but nice and quiet. so oil and gas up which warms the engine up on way to station. you hit the trail. slowly increasing speed but running mid range. around each bend you gas it off the apex and you start to notice in the crisp air the motor is grunting and pulling hard each time you ask it too. the trails are in a way were you can hit 70 on the straights and then down around a corner and so on. up and down terrain this way for 20 miles until the stop sign. the motor and you....one....grunting hard and sounding sweet in the crisp air. then it starts to lightly snow but huge flakes. you take off down a railroad grade and get going. but as you cruise you notice something odd. the freaking flakes are dancing and floating around you as if the air is still. you laugh to your self in your helmet and enjoy the moment for as long as it happens. that's and adventure I have enjoyed several times, the flakes dancing around you. anyone else experience that. what a fun rush
its the UP or Wisconsin woods. you wake up and its crispy cold out. about 10 degrees. slightly cloudy and grey but nice and quiet. so oil and gas up which warms the engine up on way to station. you hit the trail. slowly increasing speed but running mid range. around each bend you gas it off the apex and you start to notice in the crisp air the motor is grunting and pulling hard each time you ask it too. the trails are in a way were you can hit 70 on the straights and then down around a corner and so on. up and down terrain this way for 20 miles until the stop sign. the motor and you....one....grunting hard and sounding sweet in the crisp air. then it starts to lightly snow but huge flakes. you take off down a railroad grade and get going. but as you cruise you notice something odd. the freaking flakes are dancing and floating around you as if the air is still. you laugh to your self in your helmet and enjoy the moment for as long as it happens. that's and adventure I have enjoyed several times, the flakes dancing around you. anyone else experience that. what a fun rush
Well said Tracker!
John's comments made me think. I'm 48 now, and in pretty good health, no serious health issues. I love technical boonydocking, but, after ripping some nasty side hills with Indy 500, 28 years younger than me, two weeks ago in some deep snow, I realized that I really need to step up my cardio, ok, start doing SOMETHING in the off season, and lose some weight, if I want to continue doing what I love to do. It's going to a lot of will power on my part for sure, but it needs to be done.
John's comments made me think. I'm 48 now, and in pretty good health, no serious health issues. I love technical boonydocking, but, after ripping some nasty side hills with Indy 500, 28 years younger than me, two weeks ago in some deep snow, I realized that I really need to step up my cardio, ok, start doing SOMETHING in the off season, and lose some weight, if I want to continue doing what I love to do. It's going to a lot of will power on my part for sure, but it needs to be done.
G
G
Guest
Get one of those stair stepper things with an adjustable incline. It will kick your butte. My daughter left her's behind when she moved and I started using it. I am 57 but look and feel like a 34 year old. Really. No kidding. True story. Kind of, anyway.
Been riding since I was 3 or 4....have always loved the sport....took our first trip north about 1983 ish...was the greatest...pretty spent all vacation days in the winter riding sleds...starting in 1988 bought one or two new sleds(all Skidoo...1 Thundercat 1 Polaris Edge 700) every year til 2010....Group of friends riding was 10 strong at this time....rode 2-4000 miles every season and that was with a 6 hour drive back and forth...we chased snow everywhere...out west... Canada...wherever we needed to go....by late 90's group of 10 had dwindled to 3-4....decided in late 90's I might as well be where I can ride from my door...pulled the trigger and moved up in fall of 2000... pretty much rode everyday that I could...might have only been 1 mile maybe it was 250 but I rode everyday of the season when I wasnt out of town(which wasnt much)...averaged 4-5000 miles every season once I lived here in good and bad...was close to 6000 one year....Spring of 2011 I decided I was happy with my sled which only had 2000 miles on it...wasnt sure why I didnt have more miles that year but just shrugged it off.....group of 3-4 had dwindled to basically me...and my brother but he owns a buisness in the sport so its hard for him to get out alot...next few years mileage was even less...finally figured out I Just wasn't having fun anymore...the sport has changed...its a whole new breed out there now I dont seem to mesh with very well...this winter hasn't been good weather wise but even so I have less than 100 miles....Never thought id see that day But its here and i'm good with it. Will always have sleds and will never quit..but serious contemplating a move very far south where the snowmo trails are non-existent....and the two wheeler v-twins can be ridden everyday....maybe that will get old too....who knows...
boatssleds
New member
What makes snowmobile so fun, is knowing that Skylar was out boondocking with Indy500. I have followed this site for many years and Indy500 was picked on the laugh at as a young kid. He was on here to ask question and he always got answer. We all watched him drag a shed back to his house to keep his snowmobile in. And the kid is now someone that can show the elders a thing or two. This kid has worked hard to get what he wants and is a great person that should help the younger kids keep this sport going. And Skylar did you ever think 5 years ago you would ever hook up and ride with Indy500. Kudos.
G
G
Guest
x10.
uncle_ed
Active member
I started riding as a youth at my uncles farm in Canada and it got me hooked. (its all his fault) I then carried on with sledding as a young man but got out of it for a while to raise a family and sledding just wasnt in the budget back then. I got back into it in as I got older and my kids were old enough to drive on their own and have been riding since. My son, nephew, cousin, brother and friends have all bailed on me but I still get them out every once in a while
My passion today for snowmobiling is fueled by the sense of adventure it brings to me. I no longer have the need for speed like I used to anyway and find it more fun to explore new territory and plan new routes to take and ways to navigate to a destination with my gps than anything. There is nothing like being out in the middle of nowhere....in the dead of winter.....to make you feel sane!
I love riding and all things snowmobile but the off season anticipation of riding gets me going too. The snow shows, reading the snowmo rags, working on the sleds, its all part of the passion of snowmobiling for me. Kind of like Christmas as a kid I guess!
This site has also given me a lot over the years as well. I for the most part lurk around and see where the snow is with the webcams and check weather forecast etc. I used to really enjoy the forums years ago as well. As already stated it was great back when Indy was fixing up a shed and sharing every bit of what he was doing with his sled as well. Times are changing I guess and this place has grown up as well and changed to include a bit of back and forth and negative stuff along with the good but I guess that is the world we live in. Would be nice to see a little more respect for others as that is only what we would all expect isnt it?
My passion today for snowmobiling is fueled by the sense of adventure it brings to me. I no longer have the need for speed like I used to anyway and find it more fun to explore new territory and plan new routes to take and ways to navigate to a destination with my gps than anything. There is nothing like being out in the middle of nowhere....in the dead of winter.....to make you feel sane!
I love riding and all things snowmobile but the off season anticipation of riding gets me going too. The snow shows, reading the snowmo rags, working on the sleds, its all part of the passion of snowmobiling for me. Kind of like Christmas as a kid I guess!
This site has also given me a lot over the years as well. I for the most part lurk around and see where the snow is with the webcams and check weather forecast etc. I used to really enjoy the forums years ago as well. As already stated it was great back when Indy was fixing up a shed and sharing every bit of what he was doing with his sled as well. Times are changing I guess and this place has grown up as well and changed to include a bit of back and forth and negative stuff along with the good but I guess that is the world we live in. Would be nice to see a little more respect for others as that is only what we would all expect isnt it?
Grant Hoar
New member
Well, I can think of a couple things that no one has mentioned that are fun on a snowmobile, but since this is a family site I won't go into details. Hint, it is usually better if the sled is parked!
snobuilder
Well-known member
is she Tiffany or a unicorn?
I get the picture! View attachment 53572
If you need that strong of a hint you have too much 2 smoke in your lungs lol
snobuilder
Well-known member
Good thing you replyed with quote so we understand your point.
Grant Hoar
New member
I get the picture!
edited: Like to keep the site family oriented. Sorry!
Nice new sled!