Why Do You Ride?
- Thread starter whitedust
- Start date
garyl62
Active member
A lot of things have been said that I agree with, exploring new places, the peace and beauty of the woods in winter, no phone or pressures, the bonding of friends and the general idea of getting away from the everyday. For the last couple years though it has been getting to spend time and get into conversations with the local owner or employees of the many places we stop. Almost getting to the point that I'd rather plan a much shorter ride to spend a longer time taking breaks and talking with people who can tell me about the 95 year round residents of Copper Harbor, and how proud they are that they have 11 kids in the one room school house this year. Then the next day I'm talking to the mom of 3 of those kids hearing her story about how she came to live in the UP. Or the people that ask how I've been since last year, or why I didn't bring my wife up this past summer like I talked about. At the other end of the ride it's hearing about how a business owner went from 75% of his business from snowmobilers and 25% locals to now how it's a 55/45 split and how it wants to get it to the point where the locals will become the majority of his customer base in the future, yet only because he has grown his business that much. I guess I'm starting to enjoy building relationships with people who seem to be genuinely interested in telling their story and listening to mine.
SledTL
Active member
I also forgot to mention in my post that I've gotten to spend so much time with my dad. With going to college next year the chance of me being able to just drop my things and drive an hour to go play will be unheard of. A lot of quality time that I got to spend with him, gone riding nearly every weekend since end of December, just the two of us. On top of the good snow in southern wisconsin I've been able to take a lot of friends out who have never even heard of snowmobiling or seen the culture of a hanging out on the lakes or riding bar to bar. So happy that my last winter with so much freedom has been amazing.
POLARISDAN
New member
yea that's a big part of it for me..we just don't go ride for 250..id rather ride in the 150's and spend some time chatting..out of a 16 hour day we prob ride 10-12, and spend the rest of the time hanging out in different places meeting people..i really never understood the need for a 250 day with no hanging out
venturenorth
Active member
x2.... p and df....
to stop and enjoy the quiet and scenery, exploring new areas, distance loops w friends, happy to finally have someone to share rides and sled knowledge with, and most of all, safety.....thanks....
to stop and enjoy the quiet and scenery, exploring new areas, distance loops w friends, happy to finally have someone to share rides and sled knowledge with, and most of all, safety.....thanks....
momoney2123
New member
Love to ride anywhere and everywhere. Ditches, trails, offtrail, and drag racing on the lakes I also enjoy. But half the fun is people you meet and the comrodery with the people you ride with. Without Sleds I would probably be like the normal everday person who hates winter and complains about it from december thru march. One of my friends bought a sled before this season and he previously hated winter and it is now his favorite season. Gota love it.
I couldn't imagine NOT snowmobiling. It started back in 1967 when my dad traded a pick up truck for a
FOX TRAC. He had to carry an oil can to squirt on the open chain case! There were no trails then. People
would just load them up and bring to each others places (for different scenery!). Then I remember Dad
taping foam rubber around the handle bars of our 1969 Polaris Mustang, so when he put me in front of him,
I wouldn't hit my face on the handlebars!
Then he bought my Mom a 1970 Mustang,.... and by now, snowmobiling was REALLY taking off. Crivitz had
the first series of "groomed" trails, So those were fantastic, otherwise Dad and his buddies would spend Friday
night breaking trails for the Saturday and Sunday "Family" rides. Then it seemed as the family grew, the parents
sleds were handed down as They got newer ones. It is what we did on the weekends as a family!
Back then there were so many brands, It was so cool. We would go to the Marinette County fair every year, and
there would be DOZENS of dealers there with all the new models. I had more fun looking at them,....than going
on any darn Carnival ride!. Polaris, Arctic Cat, Ski-Doo, Yamaha, Ski-Roule, Boa-Ski, Chapparal, Rupp, John Deere,
Scorpion, Herters, Ski-Whiz, Swinger, Northway, Viking, Raider, Sno-Prince, Grand Prix, Speedway, Sno-Jet,
Ski-Daddler, Moto-Ski, Star Craft, Larson, Johnson, Evinrude, Sno-Pony, Mercury, Alloutte, Fox Trac, Bolens,
They were all there! Back then it seemed like anyone who owned a gas station, car delearship, or body shop,...
had a snowmobile franchise. I loved them all.
In 1972, it seemed like every single family in my town had a single cylinder Ski-Doo Olympic. Crazy.
I used to head back in the woods behind my folks place and "carve" up a field on my Mom's 1972 Panther.
That sled seemed like a rocket back then, with it's 340 Kawasaki twin!
Then, sit back and listen to the quietness of nature and get all covered with half dollar sized snow flakes.
I still today, will head off to a favorite spot (an old train bridge in the middle of no-where over a small creek)
and sit back and just soak it in. There is something to be said about seeing the world "from behind the scenes".
That is very special. I still try to "hang" with some of the gang from time to time,... (more aggressive riding),...
or be part of a pack, "letting it fly" down a freshly groomed rail grade. But I guess as I get older,..... It is the
sight seeing-Nature part of it that I like the best.
I find it Awesome that each year, our local trail system keeps GROWING and expanding, and as long as the
knuckle-heads don't wreck it for all the others,... I see it continuing to grow (in my area anyways),.....
And I Love seeing "Families" out together enjoying the same thing. I sure wish my Dad would hop on one
of the new ones and re-live it all again, But somethings aren't meant to be.
I ride on a Ski-Doo these days (If you would have told me in 1972 that I would own a Ski-Doo someday),
I would have laughed in your face,...... I have owned (and loved them all),.... It is just that a guy my size,
feels comfortable with all that leg room, sitting UP higher. I love the 4-stroke torque and quietness also.
I LOVE the new Yama-Cats, and the Rush's,....If I would win the lottery, I'd have them all!
They ALL are built swweeeeet, in my opinion.
As I become older, I have become more lazy, so you won't catch this dude in situations of getting that thing buried!
Someday, when I retire, I hope I can be a groomer driver. I'll take all the crappy shifts,.... so others can
be out there with THEIR families enjoying the trails during the peak hours.
Oh ya,... I forgot to mention,.....One of the BEST things about snowmobiling?,...... NO BUGS!
Ride them while you can my friends. Enjoy every moment, Be respectful, helpful, and thankful.
It ALL truly goes by Way Faster than you think!
Though I may not like the severe cold,..... I'll always love the fresh, clean, beautiful, bountiful S N O W!
Thats why "I Snowmobile"
~Brother Vin
p.s. Thanks Dad!
FOX TRAC. He had to carry an oil can to squirt on the open chain case! There were no trails then. People
would just load them up and bring to each others places (for different scenery!). Then I remember Dad
taping foam rubber around the handle bars of our 1969 Polaris Mustang, so when he put me in front of him,
I wouldn't hit my face on the handlebars!
Then he bought my Mom a 1970 Mustang,.... and by now, snowmobiling was REALLY taking off. Crivitz had
the first series of "groomed" trails, So those were fantastic, otherwise Dad and his buddies would spend Friday
night breaking trails for the Saturday and Sunday "Family" rides. Then it seemed as the family grew, the parents
sleds were handed down as They got newer ones. It is what we did on the weekends as a family!
Back then there were so many brands, It was so cool. We would go to the Marinette County fair every year, and
there would be DOZENS of dealers there with all the new models. I had more fun looking at them,....than going
on any darn Carnival ride!. Polaris, Arctic Cat, Ski-Doo, Yamaha, Ski-Roule, Boa-Ski, Chapparal, Rupp, John Deere,
Scorpion, Herters, Ski-Whiz, Swinger, Northway, Viking, Raider, Sno-Prince, Grand Prix, Speedway, Sno-Jet,
Ski-Daddler, Moto-Ski, Star Craft, Larson, Johnson, Evinrude, Sno-Pony, Mercury, Alloutte, Fox Trac, Bolens,
They were all there! Back then it seemed like anyone who owned a gas station, car delearship, or body shop,...
had a snowmobile franchise. I loved them all.
In 1972, it seemed like every single family in my town had a single cylinder Ski-Doo Olympic. Crazy.
I used to head back in the woods behind my folks place and "carve" up a field on my Mom's 1972 Panther.
That sled seemed like a rocket back then, with it's 340 Kawasaki twin!
Then, sit back and listen to the quietness of nature and get all covered with half dollar sized snow flakes.
I still today, will head off to a favorite spot (an old train bridge in the middle of no-where over a small creek)
and sit back and just soak it in. There is something to be said about seeing the world "from behind the scenes".
That is very special. I still try to "hang" with some of the gang from time to time,... (more aggressive riding),...
or be part of a pack, "letting it fly" down a freshly groomed rail grade. But I guess as I get older,..... It is the
sight seeing-Nature part of it that I like the best.
I find it Awesome that each year, our local trail system keeps GROWING and expanding, and as long as the
knuckle-heads don't wreck it for all the others,... I see it continuing to grow (in my area anyways),.....
And I Love seeing "Families" out together enjoying the same thing. I sure wish my Dad would hop on one
of the new ones and re-live it all again, But somethings aren't meant to be.
I ride on a Ski-Doo these days (If you would have told me in 1972 that I would own a Ski-Doo someday),
I would have laughed in your face,...... I have owned (and loved them all),.... It is just that a guy my size,
feels comfortable with all that leg room, sitting UP higher. I love the 4-stroke torque and quietness also.
I LOVE the new Yama-Cats, and the Rush's,....If I would win the lottery, I'd have them all!
They ALL are built swweeeeet, in my opinion.
As I become older, I have become more lazy, so you won't catch this dude in situations of getting that thing buried!
Someday, when I retire, I hope I can be a groomer driver. I'll take all the crappy shifts,.... so others can
be out there with THEIR families enjoying the trails during the peak hours.
Oh ya,... I forgot to mention,.....One of the BEST things about snowmobiling?,...... NO BUGS!
Ride them while you can my friends. Enjoy every moment, Be respectful, helpful, and thankful.
It ALL truly goes by Way Faster than you think!
Though I may not like the severe cold,..... I'll always love the fresh, clean, beautiful, bountiful S N O W!
Thats why "I Snowmobile"
~Brother Vin
p.s. Thanks Dad!
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Excellent post, Vin. I think you said it all!
ridindirty800
Active member
Big Vin, Very nice! Would you like to call my fiance and explain to her why I snowmobile lol??
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Brother Vin very nice, unfortunately you just don't see many families out there anymore do to alot of different reasons, I know my oldest 2 don't have anything to do with it and they were raised on sleds makes me sad not to have the family get togethers to ride any more.
Bradzoo
Bradzoo
POLARISDAN
New member
ridindirty!
I told her about all the nice things you were going to do for her
after y'all tied the knot,......
And now she's even O.K. with ya Spring ordering a NEW Sled!
Sweeeeet Bro!
Why do you ride??? Wow, that’s a hard question to answer while trying to keep it down to one page (?). Too many reasons to list here, and it looks like all of the previous posts have just about covered them all. One of my riding buddies and I just returned from a 7-day, 1,101 mile ride that started in Plover last Friday…Thorp to Turtle Lake on Saturday…Ashland (via Superior/Duluth) on Sunday…Hurley on Monday…Pembine on Tuesday…Birnamwood on Wednesday…back to Plover today to load up and drive home. It’s just not possible to cover all the reasons of “…Why do you Ride…” unless a person were to come along on one of our saddlebag rides. Just too hard to explain the fun in riding along on Wisconsin and Michigan’s smooth trails, rarely exceeding 50 mph, listening to the quiet and smooth hum of a 4-stroke engine, enjoying…everything, and at the same time scratching a few things off our bucket list for the 2013-14 season such as making that connection from the north end of the Wild Rivers trail into Superior, being able to ride all day in real cold temperatures without getting cold, and not having any breakdowns while having yet another 5K+ mile riding season with our wives’ blessings—well sort of, and finally reaching the 100,000th mile of lifetime riding! Not beating any drums here, but it’s just hard sometimes to explain to curious neighbors and others, like the waitress at the Lando restaurant one morning in January this year when it was 27-below zero and we tried to tell her that no, we weren’t really crazy and did indeed have fun even at those extreme temperatures. When we talk about each days ride in the evening, we quite often reflect back and say to ourselves “You know what, this is all a sort of reward for all of the hundreds and hundreds of hours we have donated as volunteers encouraging club membership and doing ALL the things that club members do year after year.” My two-cents worth of why I ride. Gotta go now and try to figure out which 4-stroke sled to switch over to now that Polaris has none in their 2015 lineup.
i think you have something there, we all know "it could be me" when we see someone stuck or broke down out there
i stopped one night for a lone sled on the side of the trail and the guy was riding with "friends" who left him stranded, i had passed them a ways up the trail and saw the 1 behind sign and kept looking for the last guy. this guy didnt even know how to change the belt and they had him riding last in line. after i got the belt cut loose from the cables, new belt on, and got him on the trail however long it took, there was still no sign of his "friends"