"Epic Conditions" for us in Colorado Feb. 10-14!!!

[skeedoo]

It snowed hard for 3 of the 4 days of riding and we picked up over 5 feet of fresh powder to play in. Powder at 9,000-11,000 feet was sick almost to much snow on the last day. Our sleds consisted of 1 Summit 154" (only on day 2), 1 Yamaha Nitro long track mountain sled, 2 "Spring Check" Arctic Cat 141" Crossfire's w/ 1.5" track and 2 Renegade 137" with 1.75 paddle's and lots of mountain mods. Even though a long track "mountain sled" is always the best bet in that kind of powder with an incline these "shorter track" sleds performed awesome and we only averaged about 3-5 stuck's a day per person, just needed to make sure you always stop your sled facing downhill and keep up your momentum. Of course carving was effortless and you could do turns like never before. All in all may be the best conditions I will ever see, I hope not!!!!
The pics start out at the beginning of our trip with some nice "rideable powder" and end with the epic stuff. At the beginning of our trip the higher we got and the farther we went in the tree's the deeper the powder got, by the end of the trip it was ride where you could keep your sled moving, very little tree riding.

 

[skeedoo]

Here's some more...
Pic 1: I ate some serious pine tree limbs on this one (came over hill & stuffed it into tree's)
Pic 2: Whitey jumping after we got my sled out
Pic 3: Look to the right of the pic (the landing), where's Whitey
Pic 4: closeup of landing
Pic 5: breaktime after tearing up this small meadow

 

[skeedoo]

Some More...
Pic 1: You have to tuck in behind tree's and stop facing downhill to try and not have any problems getting started back up.
Pic 2: Start of our next day - this is at about 8,000 feet on the trail on our way up to the top. This is when the heavy snows are just starting to pile up.
Pic 3: Slightly further up (about 9,000 feet), this is how to use your sled as a trail groomer or plow truck!!
Pic 4: Got alittle excited in all this snow and I let my sled take a ghost ride and do a few flips - all was well because of the softness of the snow.
Pic 5: Still on our way to the top and the Yamaha Digs to China - Mike is over 6 feet tall just to give you an idea of the endless POW!!

 

[skeedoo]

And some more...
Pic 1: Mike and Whitey found some deep stuff
Pic 2: Closeup of Whitey's stick
Pic 3: Isn't the scenery beautiful
Pic 4: BAM!!! Not anymore
Pic 5: This is my sled at 10,000 feet when I stopped for a break - Just a little snow

 

[skeedoo]

More...
Pic 1:Mike's Renegade pushing some pow.
Pic 2: Jeff and the Yamaha loving this snow
Pic 3: Jeff and some playtime
Pic 4: More of Jeff playing

 

[skeedoo]

Sorry but I have lots more...
Pic 1: Remember this hillclimb pic from one day earlier
Pic 2: Same hill just one day later - The snow was piling up unbelievably fast (this is at 9,000 ft.)
Pic 3: another pic of Jeff trying to get some speed up to make an attempt at the climb
Pic 4: Pretty good effort if you ask me
Pic 5: Mike's Renegade parked at bottom of hill

 

[skeedoo]

More pow, pow...
Pic 1: Jeff taking a break after a hillclimb attempt
Pic 2: We are not even near the top and you can see how much snow our sleds are pushing out of the way to get thru
Pic 3: Mike on right with an awesome climb for a Renegade, Jeff to left on his way down from a good climb almost making it to the top
Pic 4: We went back down to the trucks for a mid afternoon break (we only went half way up the mountain for our morning ride) before heading up to the top again for some more serious powder riding. My sled in background and Jeff's Yammy up front
Pic 5: Break's over at the truck's but I needed a break again trying to make my way to 11,000 feet

 

[prowrench]

would a 1.5" paddle 121" (800) even have a prayer out there? (Not necessarily 5' of fresh pow, but under "normal" mountain conditions) just wondering if I'd be further ahead renting. thanks

 

[skeedoo]

Prowrench,
Alot of it has to do with the rider, remember long track sleds have not been around forever but mountain riding has... Honestly you could bring your sled out and ride it if there is setup snow, but if you happen to get pounded like we did then I would say rent a mountain sled with the longest track you can find, sneak a turbo on it and have some fun!! O.k gonna post more pics..

 

[skeedoo]

Getting closer to being done I promise!!
Pic 1: Jeff doing a nice long hillclimb
Pic 2: Still going up
Pic 3: Yammy made it as far as she would go
Pic 4: I took my sled up the right side of that big pine tree (at right of pic) and back down the left side - you can see the depth of snow my Renegade was tackling
Pic 5: Awesome shot of Mike on his Ski-doo Backcountry, well thats what kind of sled is under all that snow anyway

 

[skeedoo]

More, more, more!!!
Pic 1: Two mega long track Arctic Cats buried in super freshy!!! They actually said they didn't need help getting out, trust me its all for one and one for all in these kind of conditions - always offer help!!!
Pic 2: Group of sleds at bottom of hillclimb area - It took me 3 attemps with my 600 E-Tec 137" but I made it to the top, well my sled made it, I jumped off and floored the throtle to shoot my sled over the top cause it was starting to get sucked in and get stuck
Pic 3: A long track sled making the climb
Pic 4: Mike on his Renegade effortlessly laying it over on its side
Pic 5: O.k Mike's starting to show off now!!

 

[samc]

Awesome!

 

[Skylar]

WOW, truly Epic snow conditions. Awesome.

 

[skeedoo]

About 10-15 more thats it...
Pic 1: Another of Mike playing in a meadow
Pic 2: Mike taking a well needed break in "armpit" deep powder
Pic 3: Mike and I decided to go back down to 8,500 feet where the powder was alittle more managable for our renegade's and we saw a small untouched meadow so we decided to get some fun carving pics. Here's me laying mine on it side pretty good
Pic 4: Me doing a little carving
Pic 5: Another of me doing circle's around a big pine tree

 

[skeedoo]

Bla, Bla, Bla!!
Pic 1: Can you believe my Renegade would push thru that much powder - I can't!!
Pic 2: Just a pic of my sled
Pic 3: Mike's turn to play
Pic 4: Another of Mike on a nice carve
Pic 5: Just a pic of Mike and his Renegade

 

[skeedoo]

Last 5 pics!!
Pic 1: Me setting up for some carving
Pic 2: This is my last blast thru powder for the trip - what memories!!
Pic 3: Mike with his last time playing
Pic 4: Mike blasts thru some powder and shows again how much snow there was even at this lower elevation
Pic 5: This was in the truck ride away from the mountain range we were riding on - you can see how it is socked in with clouds/heavy snow. This is the way it looked our whole trip.
Unbelievable fun!!!! Can't wait to go back in March!!! Anyone wanna go? I know where to find a small amount of snow, Ha-Ha.

 

[Bradzoo]

Wow I dream that kinda snow, Great pic's

 

[techsledder]

Wow!http://www.johndee.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=5920&d=1266859236
It's like you guys weren't even there the day before....

Amazing!! I would've found it hard to go home after riding like that.

 

[just_ride]

Wow

Wow Wow Wow!
Awesome Shots!
Thanks for sharing.....
Sure would like to try that a few times.

 

[816000tgre]

The picture of when Mike was stuck was DA- impressive!....How long were you hang'n around in the roof top's?... you guy's should have dread lock's by the take on the short Novel !
By the look's of it id be willing to ride a ski-doo !..let me know what i'm doo-in wrong?
lol !..seriously ! great job !