What keeps you coming back....

[600_RMK_144]

Finally joined the sport last year buying a 2012 Skidoo Renegade 600 and a 2016 Rush Pros S 800. Long story short (great season) .... I rolled the 800. Was the 3rd accident in 10 days. Wife claims both sleds needed to be sold.
Along comes quarantine.... Wife wants a boat. Agrees to allow me to sell ONE sled to purchase a boat.... I sold the 600 in a week - for exactly what I had into the sled. Fixed the 800....
I learned a ton last year.
This year I am running C&A skis with dually slim jims. I added 144 hornet studs.
What keeps me coming back is my progression as a rider and understanding the sled. I ride with some guys that rip pretty hard. I can't believe how hard I rode my sled with such bad skis, terrible carbides and no studs. Now I'm anxious to ride it and see how it corners.... I am confident I'll need to set up the suspension...... Any ideas or quick tips on adjusting front or rear track shock and the front ski shocks? Best practice? Rules of thumb? I spent last season trying to get bite in the front end instead of pushing through the turns.....adjusting shocks.... Realized my skis and carbides were shot so I upgraded to the C&A and Duallys...... Now I'm trying to dial all of them back to factory settings and adjust from there.

Slow down brother! Nothing will get you killed (or seriously injured) faster than as a new rider trying to keep up with their buddies that have been doing it for years. Ride at your pace man. Your buddies will stop to let you catch up (eventually. HA!) and if they don't then you need new buddies.

 

[whitedust]

Slow down brother! Nothing will get you killed (or seriously injured) faster than as a new rider trying to keep up with their buddies that have been doing it for years. Ride at your pace man. Your buddies will stop to let you catch up (eventually. HA!) and if they don't then you need new buddies.

Good advise you do sound like the last guy in a pack that’s trying to catch up that pushes thru turns goes wide to oncoming traffic. Your buds should be helping you get peak handling from your sled. Some won’t spend the money but sounds like you will just need some focused help. It’s not wise to ride faster than your skill level or sled control level as it won’t end well. Sometimes just slowing down a bit will help your skis bite sometimes you may be on the throttle when you should be off to complete a tight turn. Use your head change things up while riding to find your sleds sweet spot then go from there. No way a newbie can keep up with experienced riders but rest assured you will improve with time.

 

[mezz]

Slow down brother! Nothing will get you killed (or seriously injured) faster than as a new rider trying to keep up with their buddies that have been doing it for years. Ride at your pace man. Your buddies will stop to let you catch up (eventually. HA!) and if they don't then you need new buddies.

Well said! It's a little concerning when traction devices enter into the picture with a new rider. Part of being a rider is knowing your limitations as well as what your sled is capable of doing under given situations. Personally, I feel that studs are dangerous to a new rider, be careful & don't get a false sense of security. -Mezz

 

[kevinj]

It is the interesting things that I am able to see that I otherwise would not search out...Like visiting Timm's Hill, or the covered bridge, both in Price County. After fishing the chippewa flowage, I then wanted to cross it in the winter time. I have ridden to the Canadian boarder from Jackman, ME. A few years ago I did a backpack ride from Wabeno to Munising. Hired a guide who took us across the ice to GRande Island and we got to ride on Grande Island all the way around. The sights and views from the edge of the bluffs was amazing; a very technical ride. We then shot down to the clear sprint down on the southern boarder of the UP. Next day we did Miner's Castle, Pcitured Rocks and Grande marais. There are numerous fire towers or scenic overlooks that I have been to and it is my goal to snowmobile in every coutny in WI. I am about 2/3rds done. The next big trip that I would like to do is a backpack trip from either St Germain or Mountain, WI to Houghton/Hancock and ride the entire peninsula. I also particpated in the MS Ride for the first time last year. That was a blast and I got to do what I love doing to help others; Win-Win.

 

[600_RMK_144]

Well said! It's a little concerning when traction devices enter into the picture with a new rider. Part of being a rider is knowing your limitations as well as what your sled is capable of doing under given situations. Personally, I feel that studs are dangerous to a new rider, be careful & don't get a false sense of security. -Mezz

Yep. Not the theme for this thread, but felt it needed to be said. Agree --- If you are adding traction specifically to keep up, then there are likely bigger issues at play (pushing beyond your riding skill).

Now back to the topic: I love everything about riding. The anticipation of the season. All those You Tube videos you watch late at night in the off-season (no, not THOSE videos), All the pre-season gear, new parts, etc. that you buy up at Hay Days. All the pre-season maintenance getting prepared so you (hopefully) do not have a breakdown. Watching the forecast as the season starts to approach. Nope, that storm didn't pan out. Wait for the next one... NOPE! Then it finally comes and WE ARE ALL OFF for one common reason. To play in the powder. FINALLY we get to try out all that $hit our wife / significant other complained about and said we didn't "need." Her needs and mine are very different!!!! Time to get out and enjoy the sport we all sit around and dream about 8, 9, 10 months out of the year. We buy $hit and spend un-Godly amounts of money in the heat of Summer with the anticipation of using it several months later. He*l, I got two sleds sitting in my garage, one bought in April, the other in July. Zero seat time on either one of them (ok, a fluke storm in Oct we had to get them out)... It all starts with the anticipation and culminates with the ride. Then we do it all over again waiting for the next storm. The next season.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh... And let's not forget about PD being back on the site. Miss his wit and unique perspective all Summer. When PD arrives back on the scene, I know that the snow is not far behind. BOOOOOM!!!!

 

[gary_in_neenah]

It is the interesting things that I am able to see that I otherwise would not search out...Like visiting Timm's Hill, or the covered bridge, both in Price County.

Been there several times Kevin. One of my favorite places to stop and take a break, usually on my way to Moose Jaw for lunch.​

 

[ezra]

Not sure if it is 3 foot rollers that go on for 100s of mi or the dumpy cabins full of mouse **** or the rain when it was supose to snow freezing on your goggles all day or the driving 19hrs to rock hard snow then the last 2 days to have white out conditions so bad you can't see the bumper .
Or my favorite one sitting in a restaurant and have the wIt staff tell the tale how you should have been here last week when it was this or that . Then I really love the part where you spend 12k for a 600 and in 3 yrs you feel good about getting 6k for it lol just a dream
But 1 day of pow over the windshield makes up for most of it

 

[600_RMK_144]

Not sure if it is 3 foot rollers that go on for 100s of mi or the dumpy cabins full of mouse **** or the rain when it was supose to snow freezing on your goggles all day or the driving 19hrs to rock hard snow then the last 2 days to have white out conditions so bad you can't see the bumper .
Or my favorite one sitting in a restaurant and have the wIt staff tell the tale how you should have been here last week when it was this or that . Then I really love the part where you spend 12k for a 600 and in 3 yrs you feel good about getting 6k for it lol just a dream
But 1 day of pow over the windshield makes up for most of it

Nailed It!

 

[Skylar]

Not sure if it is 3 foot rollers that go on for 100s of mi or the dumpy cabins full of mouse **** or the rain when it was supose to snow freezing on your goggles all day or the driving 19hrs to rock hard snow then the last 2 days to have white out conditions so bad you can't see the bumper .
Or my favorite one sitting in a restaurant and have the wIt staff tell the tale how you should have been here last week when it was this or that . Then I really love the part where you spend 12k for a 600 and in 3 yrs you feel good about getting 6k for it lol just a dream
But 1 day of pow over the windshield makes up for most of it

Lmao, been there, done that for sure, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[hudson056]

Being from a small town in Illinois, N Wisc/U.P. is an escape, and a great one at that, we have our favorite spots and our favorite trails, and all the snow is icing on the cake for me..... Minoqua, Mercer, Ironwood, Silver City, Munising, Houghton.... My grandparents use to take us grandkids up to Minoqua every summer to fish and man, I hated that drive, now days I sell it to my buddies as a short little 7hr drive, funny how things change and I cant wait to get there. Everyone always looks forward to our stories and pictures when we get back, they know the fun we have. If the bars and restaurants are shut down it will be a hard sell to get my group to come up, the beverages and great food are near the top of our list.

 

[just_ride]

Well groomed trails, plenty of snow, coming around a sweeper corner and squeezing the flipper. Braaaaaap!