not sure if this helps or not
but the last time I took a girlfriend out west, she too wasn't much of a rider, tails were all she wanted to ride
so what I just did, was found places where she could park trail side and let me ride off trail, where she could watch or take a break.
it worked well for the first few days(7 day trip)
then about day
3-4, she decided to TRY off trail while I was off climbing some smaller hills
she NEVER told me she was going to TRY it
went off without me knowing it, got stuck on the back side of a hill, where I couldn;t see her, shut sled off, couldn't get it re started?
it was rather windy day, so couldn;t hear her yelling, ONCE I realized she was MISSING(about 5 minutes only too? till I seen she wasn't parked where she was?)
at first I thought maybe she got pissed off waiting for me, but it was only 5-7 minutes MAX I left her??
but never know with some people RIGHT?
we were about 30 miles from the nearest places, literally in middle of NO where
so, I quickly tried to get to high ground where I could see far and HOPED to find here that way,
that didn;t work, ran up trail a bit, then other way?
then back
thinking maybe she went for a shirt trail ride and would come back??
as honestly she had NO clue how to read a trail map, (not good folks tried to teach but was rather useless LOL)
after a lot of me climbing different hills looking, I found her ROLLING down a hill like a LOG to the trail, as snow as about 7 fr deep and she couldn;t walk in it, so she found rolling down hill worked LOL
as she would stay on top
when I got to her she was crying her eye's out, as she thought every time I left I was leaving here LOL
when I got to her she told me OFF TRAIL looked like FUN< and wanted to try some, and started up a hill,as she started to go down other side, she panicked, got scared she wouldn;t make it back up from the bottom, and decided to try to turn back up the hill, which ended up her tipping sled over, and then she hit the kill switch by accident and didn;t know she did it.
couldn;t get it re started, due to klill switch was on, then tried to roll sled over down hill, as she THOUGHT that would help???? HAHA no clue on that one
but couldn;t do so!
and from there waited for me to find her, first 30 minutes any how??
then she decided to leave sled and go back way she came, but snow was too deep to walk in for her?
so, sat a while, and then brain storm, to roll down hill, which worked
Best part of this whole deal was IF she woul;d have just drove down the hill, as she was, there was a small hill at bottom(lots of tracks too on it) and just over that hill was the trail she was parked on the whole time, but where she got stuck, was hidden from sight!
SO< LONG story , Maybe invest in taking some hand held walkie talkies out there with you
I wish I would have had them with me, would have made that situation a LOT less stressful, as things could have gone really bad where we were, just due to how far away from help we were!
riding with just two can have its disadvantages, where were were, we seen only about 6 other riders the WHOLE week, so help randomly driving by wasn't really a option! trails were AWESOME though, couldn;t find a bump if you wanted one LOL
girl logged on over 1500 miles in 7 days, and had no real sled experience! LOL
this also made me really realize, how important it is that the folks you ride with have basic skills, and know how(trail map reading and understanding, knowing where they are, how to get back, what to do is something happens, NOT to take off without saying something?? and basic's on getting a sled started and un stuck if need be!))
Make sure your BOTH on same page with plans, , that SHE know's how to read a trail map, and what to do, if you get hurt or??
as honestly if your going to trail ride, you can be REAL far from help or walking out, all the more so if a snow storm rolls in, snow can build FAST out there faster than you think, and white outs can happen,
NOT trying to scare you, just food for thought here on things that can maybe help you enjoy things
they Might even have helmets with communicators in them
me personally, due to I also rented sleds, I took my own helmet and gear out with me, paid extra to fly it, but rather knowing what I have fits me and works for me!
back when I was out there last, several yrs ago now, trails once past main places were bare on riders, and they were groomed almost every night, so they were FLAT as could be , extra wide as to most trails, many places 30+ ft wide was normal, and most places listed on the map, had fuel, and I filled up every time I stopped any place, rather have fuel than need it,a s most places were 30 miles or so from where I stayed( I again prefer to stay in the Cora/pinedale side of things and ride to the north, way way way less traffic and riders and still tons of snow and off trail) and well, a nice ride or loop to them, and to other places then
I was more a trail rider most trips, so I liked having to ride to get get places, over being closer to places to stop
just as I said, if it was me before I would plan any LONG trip to any place far away, I would call ahead and make sure they have fuel in, as mostly have elevated fuel tanks, and pending business, I gather depends on how often they fill them
you don;t want to drive far to get some place and find out NO fuel to get back!
