Western Riding for TRAIL Riders

dogflog

New member
I realize that this may belong in the Western Riding category, but I wanted to make sure Midwesterners see it.

My wife and I (both long time riders and grandparents) went out to Togwotee Pass WY last week and had a wonderful time. For those of you who think that western riding is all about deep powder, hill climbing, and stucks, you may want to reconsider. Togwotee has almost 600 miles of groomed trails that are absolutely beautiful. They have four groomers and each morning you can stop at the gas station and see a highlighted map of what was groomed the night before. They groom 200-300 miles each night. We used that information to plan our excursion for the day.

We have short-track, trail sleds and were definitely in the minority. Our four-stroke machines required no modifications to ride at the 8,500 foot level. Most guests have the long track machines with big lugs for the deep powder. However, we were able to ride smooth trails with breath-taking views. I'm posting this to reassure the more senior riders that there is a place for you in the mountains, especially with our El Nino pattern this year. You won't find many bar stops and almost everyone is in by dark, so it's a little different than the upper midwest.

Happy Trails, Glenn
 

oktaneho

New member
Other places out west that are good for trail riding:

-Snowies (Laramie, WY) - my personal favorite
-West Yellowstone/Island Park
-Big Horns
 

Wyelde

New member
I have been out to Togwotee several times, and I agree, they have some nice trails, But they can sometimes be challenging. I have been out there when they have gotten one of their common 12" dumpings of snow, and the trails have all but dissapeared. About the only sign of where the trail went was wooden stakes every 100 yards or so. Still, a lot of fun.

Another area I like for western trail riding is the Black Hills, 350-400 miles of trails, and 7 groomers. Very scenic.
 
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