yep I agree and I think what happens a lot is a group puts the fastest rider in lead which puts pressure on the slower riders to ride way beyond their experience and make bad decisions - I rarely lead because I can't control my speed, I am better off in the middle or tail man, the best solution is to get a long track and go exploring off trial! make sure Lenny is with you or carry a lot of gas for when you are trying to find your way home!
yep I agree and I think what happens a lot is a group puts the fastest rider in lead which puts pressure on the slower riders to ride way beyond their experience and make bad decisions - I rarely lead because I can't control my speed, I am better off in the middle or tail man, the best solution is to get a long track and go exploring off trial! make sure Lenny is with you or carry a lot of gas for when you are trying to find your way home!
polarisrider1
New member
First off, it's "trail" not "trial" I avoid both.
F
fusion
Guest
I'm thinking I need to look seriously at buying a Michigan sticker and start riding where people are more spread out. I have a new level of respect for you off trail riders as well. I'm actually nervous about riding again tomorrow with New Years eve and all. I may just look to be on the trail before 8 AM. I'd hate to head home only riding two days.
Well here I go. I have been riding Michigan and Wisconsin trails since the late seventies. They both have their pros and cons and the fees do not matter. I have been side swiped in both states. In my opinion; young riders , new riders to the sport , both men and women need to take a safety course before crawling onto a sled that will do eighty down the trail. Try a big field or a lake for the first day and understand the hand signals in your group as well as riding right. Better yet ride double with an seasoned rider the first day to get an understanding of how trail riding works. This sport has enough black eyes from the recent deaths and trespassing. I will not even mention the drinks. If these trends continue snowmobile trails will go away. Sorry, just my two.
Yeppers I only putz around here every once in awhile big miles in WI combo Vilas / Forest but again only during the week & in rural areas away from the crowd. In UP you still have to stay off trails like 3 again get into less ridden twisty trails where you only see a couple sleds all day. Also explore unplowed FRs you won't see anybody out there. lol Yep when you realize the crazies are too dangerous you find alternatives & a whole new level of riding.
polarisrider1
New member
Yeppers I only putz around here every once in awhile big miles in WI combo Vilas / Forest but again only during the week & in rural areas away from the crowd. In UP you still have to stay off trails like 3 again get into less ridden twisty trails where you only see a couple sleds all day. Also explore unplowed FRs you won't see anybody out there. lol Yep when you realize the crazies are too dangerous you find alternatives & a whole new level of riding.
I think we should keep this secret. We don't need the idiots off trail or trespassing anymore then what we have now. Let them "cull the herd" on the trails. But seriously, Better education or even an endorsement requirement such as motorcycles require may help. Remember folks drunk snowmobiling is the same as drunk driving a car in the laws eye here in Michigan.
It's the ole you can a lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.... It takes effort to explore new areas... unplowed FRs you have to seek out the map resources... do some preride planning & be able to read a map in in the middle of no where....use a compass. You don't invest time you stay on the same old same old trails. Buddies ask me how did you find this place?... Well.... I got off my butt ....did my homework & then rode it alone ...took notes & figured it all out. Most of them you lead them in & lead them out no clue where they have been all looks the same to them.lol
Nice cast........now to see if you get any bites!!?!
groomerdriver
New member
Yup...just spent the last couple of days in St. Germain. Everybody and I mean EVERYBODY, listen to Whitedust, Ezra and the rest and just stay home during the holidays. Heck, stay home every weekend. ...its suicide if you ride during those times!
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But wouldn't the above statements mean you failed to heed your own advice?.......I'm just sayin'..........
But wouldn't the above statements mean you failed to heed your own advice?.......I'm just sayin'..........
Shhhh don't point out sarcasm
Can't say anyone said don't ride the trails ...do whatever you want fine with me & others but you do have to put up with some crazy stuff out there during Xmas week that goes away after the holidays. When Rhinelander NBC TV does a feature on it saying peeps not dressed right, peeps not following marked lake trails, newbies on the trail, be careful out there too many accidents it is not whitedust or fusion writing TV featuers but it a whole lot of peeps doing a whole lot of nutso stuff.....that is fact. lol
groomerdriver
New member
No it doesn't and how would you know....you don't ride on weekends and holidays.
[/QUOTE] When Rhinelander NBC TV does a feature on it saying peeps not dressed right, peeps not following marked lake trails, newbies on the trail, be careful out there too many accidents[/QUOTE]
Rhinelander TV (and most northern TV stations) will do anything for a story that'll get sheep talking. You think it's only during the holidays that people don't follow marked lake trails, not dressed right, etc etc etc? What fantasy world do you live in?
POLARISDAN
New member
But wouldn't the above statements mean you failed to heed your own advice?.......I'm just sayin'..........
uh..sarcasm..hello?
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Rhinelander TV (and most northern TV stations) will do anything for a story that'll get sheep talking. You think it's only during the holidays that people don't follow marked lake trails, not dressed right, etc etc etc? What fantasy world do you live in?[/QUOTE]
oh..maybe not
When Rhinelander NBC TV does a feature on it saying peeps not dressed right, peeps not following marked lake trails, newbies on the trail, be careful out there too many accidents[/QUOTE]
Rhinelander TV (and most northern TV stations) will do anything for a story that'll get sheep talking. You think it's only during the holidays that people don't follow marked lake trails, not dressed right, etc etc etc? What fantasy world do you live in?[/QUOTE]
Im from planet Earth if you want to think Vilas & Eagle River is this crowded all winter fine with me. If you want to object to Rhinelander NBC TV feature also fine with me I'm just sharing info in a pleasant fashion.
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To me the local TV feature had a message an not the usual day on the trails. No snow anywhere else but Vilas & north too many sleds in a small area with no place else to go you get over crowding & that is aok if that is what you want.
groomerdriver
New member
Rhinelander TV (and most northern TV stations) will do anything for a story that'll get sheep talking. You think it's only during the holidays that people don't follow marked lake trails, not dressed right, etc etc etc? What fantasy world do you live in?[/QUOTE]
Im from planet Earth if you want to think Vilas & Eagle River is this crowded all winter fine with me. If you want to object to Rhinelander NBC TV feature also fine with me I'm just sharing info in a pleasant fashion.
[/QUOTE]Yes it is this crowded when the snow is confined to one region. You're not "sharing info" in this case...you are constantly painting pictures of gloom and doom in threads like this. Somebody has to call you on it and I am. You don't ride when YOU feel it's busy....fine.....but stop making blanket statements about how you perceive it might be.
I rode them....busy? I've seen them worse.....lots worse. 98% of the riders we encountered were A OK. The other 2%....how is that different than any other trip? None in my book. Trails were GREAT! Clubs doing an awesome job! People at the various stops were smiling, laughing and having fun. NOBODY complained about anything other than it being chilly in the AM.
If you want trails where you don't run the risk of injury or damage, buy your own state, county, region and close it off so only you can ride it.
How about this - somebody develop radar for sleds that will tell you where everybody is. Ground ACAS for snowmobiles!
My girlfriend decided she wanted to start snowmobiling with me this year, so I got the training DVD from the MN DNR. I sat with her last night and went through the training course, as a refresher for myself. After going through that, I think one of the issues out there is the poor training that is offered. The DVD claimed it was a "2014 edition", but it was easy to see it was the same training since the mid-late 90s by the snowmobiles on there and the digital technology used. I have to say both of us were outright BORED going through this, which didn't help us stay engaged to learn what they were trying to teach.
I think one thing that would help would be to update the training to today's standards and have updated information on there to make it more relevant and fun to go through, and it wouldn't be too expensive to do. I do agree that inexperienced riders need to start out on a lake or field to learn the machine before hitting the trails to gain on-hands experience because I understand there is a difference between what you are trained to do and what you do in real-life situations, but updating the training would certainly be a good step for proper off-course learning.
I think one thing that would help would be to update the training to today's standards and have updated information on there to make it more relevant and fun to go through, and it wouldn't be too expensive to do. I do agree that inexperienced riders need to start out on a lake or field to learn the machine before hitting the trails to gain on-hands experience because I understand there is a difference between what you are trained to do and what you do in real-life situations, but updating the training would certainly be a good step for proper off-course learning.
Groomerdriver : call out whomever ....I could care less if you want to feel it is gloom & doom also aok with me but you WILL NOT tell me what I can & can not say. You are typically blowing my statements way out of the intended context. I hope you lose that chip on your shoulder since the New Year will be upon Thursday & Venturenorth & I will be riding North to Sidnaw without radar just a 2 guys having a good time by the seat of our pants.