Why Snowmobiling Will End

[frnash]

an old guy once told me....you can sleep when your 70....and when you get old you have lots of money, but cannot use it for the things you thought you were gonna do....so DO IT NOW....he was referring to being able to steer a sled....go 100mph...drive a jetski on ocean.....he listed all kinds of stuff....I immediately started changing my outlook....FYI

That sounds very familiar, and I agree 100%!

After twenty years as an airplane owner (and several earlier years renting) I logged thousands of hours and spent an obscene amount of loot on an obscenely expensive "hobby"[SUP]1[/SUP], and loved every minute of it.

Now, pushing 78 years, after two heart attacks (and one cardiac arrest), I'm damn glad I did it then, 'cuz if I'd waited until I retired, I'd be up (click →) "Schitt's Creek" with only dreams of what might have been.

I should gets me wunna dem bumper stickers what sez:

Sorry, kids, I spent your inheritance (and had a ball doin' it")!

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([SUP]1[/SUP] Hobby: I just wish I could have connived a way to write it off as a business expense!)

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OMG — I'm agreein' wit Tracker! I 'tink me hed iz gonna 'splode!

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[mrbb]

nothing wrong with enjoying things now, I'm a firm believer in this too

BUT when so many are willing to spend money without caring HOW Much it costs to PLAY NOW< its driving the costs of everything up, and those with less means are suffering more than ever due to this spending on borrowed money so much anymore IMO
there has to be some middle ground on playing now and spending $$$ to do it on a borrowed dime, NOT all folks can afford to play now too, and prices climbing like they are even fewer can
if less folks borrowed to play, MAYBE prices would drop some so more could play!

 

[MZEMS2]

What a variety of responses to this thread.....and all good points really. Here in southern WI, the sport will die because of lack of snow anymore. Lots of smaller communities in my neck of the woods are organizing ATV/UTV clubs and trying to establish some trail systems. I think if this is successful in this area, sledding will be history. Our trails were open 60 hours this season, and I groomed our club's trails one night. Harsh reality...I was grooming for 20% of the total time the trails were open. I don't know how dealers put up with it honestly. The dealers that used to have dozens of sleds out front of their stores each season, have converted to atv/utv.....and maybe have 5 or 6 sleds sittin out these days.

 

[przes1]

an old guy once told me....you can sleep when your 70....and when you get old you have lots of money, but cannot use it for the things you thought you were gonna do....so DO IT NOW....he was referring to being able to steer a sled....go 100mph...drive a jetski on ocean.....he listed all kinds of stuff....I immediately started changing my outlook....FYI

Girlfriends dad told me same thing 20 yrs ago. Live life now. Was up in Lake Linden last weekend and he sat in recliner watching sleds go by wishing he was out there with us

 

[tealracing16]

All true Tracker and przes1. My concern is risk. I can afford all the payments but I also have been laid off before. If I had all those sweet toys and payments to go with them and I get laid off I'm done. I would rather save up a little and buy some used stuff. I still have a blast on my 500, just can't go over 80!

 

[WorkHardPlayHrd]

My father in law died 10 months ago, his wife 6 months before him. All he kept saying is we never got time to do things together. Over and over again. Blunt words everyone you only get one chance. One chance for your children to have memories of parents who are always working and never have time to do things with them, or a chance to drag your *** out of bed early get the chores done, haul north and watch your 5 kids have a blast doing a radar run. Then go for a trail ride, and proceed home to the work that is waiting. One chance to realize that time spent with your spouse that you enjoy is better than a slightly fancier house or other material things. What good is all the material stuff if one day the divorce happens.

You can take kids on the trail. We have a 10, 11, 13, 14, and 16 year olds. Parent with a kid in front. 3 kids on sleds in middle. Second parent with last child in the rear. Lead parent is watching for oncoming traffic and warning for anything weird. To be honest I'd rather take my kids on the trails most days then the highway. I have yet to see a teenager texting and driving on a sled. We have had the kids on local trails, Manistique to Munising Michigan last year, and also Winter and Cable Wi. Saw a husband and wife riding this past weekend with a four year old. Another couple with twin 8 year olds. You just have to be the ultimate defensive driver. Some of our sleds cost 1,500 a piece. The 13 and 16 year old are on our handed down cfr's. Good sleds, well maintained, lots of miles.

But they love it, and I'd rather they were on a sled then in front of the TV.

 

[POLARISDAN]

yea im a monster believer in the do it now theory..i do it cuz i can..and when i cant i wont regret..had both my boys UP this year at the same time for the first time in awhile..27 and 22..and OMG are they funny with each other..now that i dont have to parent..and can just let them be..its fkn priceless..the day will come when i cant..wife doesnt get it..but i dont fkn care..i do..she sits..tough sh*t

 

[snobuilder]

yea im a monster believer in the do it now theory..i do it cuz i can..and when i cant i wont regret..had both my boys UP this year at the same time for the first time in awhile..27 and 22..and OMG are they funny with each other..now that i dont have to parent..and can just let them be..its fkn priceless..the day will come when i cant..wife doesnt get it..but i dont fkn care..i do..she sits..tough sh*t

....you are doing it right, Dan.

 

[WorkHardPlayHrd]

....you are doing it right, Dan.

Good one!

 

[ezra]

I'll go along with a speed limit, if we also enact an age limit.

....as in, nobody over 65 on the trails.

then who do you think will groom them
I do some work for a guy who lives in Italy but keep a place in MN just to come back 2 mo a yr .
1 of the reasons he comes back is there annual sled trip to WI they have hats and t shirts etc from all the yrs . guess the group is getting real small this was like 48th yr . guy who puts it on every yr is 99 it is at his place in WI .

beyond cool

 

[snobuilder]

I'll go along with a speed limit, if we also enact an age limit.

....as in, nobody over 65 on the trails.

We better get together for a ride soon.

 

[allpolaris]

The news (Channel 6 Marquette) a couple of nights ago was reporting that approx. 50% of the trails run on private property. My immediate thought was it seemed like an awful high number, but if in fact that is true,
and relating to the title of the post and local property owners I have talked to....where is everyone gonna ride?? The locals at almost every stop are fed up with folks that cannot stay on the trail as the #1 *itch. #2 was we live up here for the nature and serenity and why the **** do they hafta make so much noise?. My response to #1 was that my opinion was the trails were marked very clearly, however the map is not always to scale, and may cause some confusion once in awhile, but there are those who don't really give two *hits who owns the trail because they bought the entitlement to your property for 50 bucks...just the truth! My response to #2 was that I agree, and that guidelines were set forth in 197? by law about noise emissions and have been refined even further since then. I also told them that I too had a house in the U.P. with a busy trail 200 feet from my house and on weekends hafta turn up the TV volume because of the annoyance. On a Saturday morning while filling my outdoor wood boiler, some sleds make me look up as they pass to be sure it was't the wind in the trees, while others BRAAAPP there faulty exhaust machines through the gas line 1/2 mile away and it is very annoying. It is a no-brainer why the local folks call the county sheriff and the DNR on friday afternoon reminding them of the laws they are hired to enforce, as loads of sleds start rolling in for another busy weekend. My point is we must tread lightly with the folks that live their lives up in snow country and respect what they do for our sport or we could succumb to a government approved area that we can haul our sleds to ride. Most all amenities require going across private property to get to an approved trail.

 

[whitedust]

I'll go along with a speed limit, if we also enact an age limit.

....as in, nobody over 65 on the trails.

Yep that would end snowmobiling for sure!...lol....also end the sales of new snowmobile market. I have no idea what happens when senior riders are done but seems to me total numbers will be down by a bunch! The seniors do a lot of the trail maintenance so be cautious of what you wish for.

 

[swampcat]

Dont worry about these keyboard racers whitedust, most of them could not even catch you. I KNOW how you ride.

 

[ridindirty800]

Sledding is only as Expensive as you make it. We would all love to have brand new sleds, new truck and a 12K trailer to haul north with. But in the end all you will remember is the memories made with friends or family on the trail and trips up. When i met my Fiance, and her to 2 boys they had never been exposed to snowmobiling. She is still not a fan but I got her boys to enjoy it. I am still on my 2010 sled and 2003 truck to afford to buy 2 other sleds for the boys and have money to head north. Last weekend in the U.P we were on a club trip and had the 13 year old with me, his second year riding and he was doing better then i would have expected and his now hooked. He was already talking about next years trips and where he wanted to go. It can get spendy going north but I will never give it up, as the memories I make with boys up there you cant put a price on. My mom always said where there is a will there is way. I agree, I have seen many guys get out of snowmobiling when kids come, never understood that. When I took on 2 step boys I looked at it as a chance to buy more sleds and make memories. Not to mention the fun we have pounding stakes fot trailer back home in S.E Wi, where we can hardly ride. Life is short, you live once, have no regrets! I never want to look back and say I wish I would have done that. SNOWMOBILING WILL NEVER DIE, way to much passion there by to many people like myself!

 

[dothedoo]

We better get together for a ride soon.

lol....I still got 13 years...lol

Me and my buddy were joking last weekend about how fun it's going to be in 2 years as he's got a son that is 10 and I've got a grandson that is 10. Can't wait to get them on the trails.

We had this conversation during the day, at lunch...not when we were still giving 'er in the Casino at 3am a couple of nights. lol

 

[ezra]

The news (Channel 6 Marquette) a couple of nights ago was reporting that approx. 50% of the trails run on private property. My immediate thought was it seemed like an awful high number, but if in fact that is true,
.

in MN that 50% is much much higher .
most permit holders sign in part because if they are a landowner with a trail permit they are covered by the state of MN insurance policy if some one on a snowmobile get hurt or killed anyplace on there property .
with no trail permit some clown trespassing and gets hurt said land owner can get sued and in this day and age can potentially loose if not loose can still cost them big money in lawyer fees

 

[WorkHardPlayHrd]

Ezra is right about the lawsuits, and it's pathetic that you can get nailed to a wall when someone who should not have been there in the first place gets hurt, then tries to hurt you.

Ridingdirty800 five stars to you for what you are doing. Not just in getting them involved, but also for being one **** of a stepfather to be. I hope they love you, appreciate you, and one day they tell you. This is coming from a stepchild that had a lot of anger issues to get thru, put their stepfather thru misery, finally grew up and realized that he was a great guy. He is awesome with my children and they adore him. I hope you are or do end up in the positive situation.

 

[whitedust]

Dont worry about these keyboard racers whitedust, most of them could not even catch you. I KNOW how you ride.

Thanks Russ you would enjoy a romp with dfattack and son too. Cass is on a Viper not as pretty as your white one and Darren has 2 Apex a black like mine and even cleaner red xtx than Ken’s. Darren has the same Rock light package as you. Too bad we ran out of season in Vilas and didn’t get you to Amasa just luv that 17 mile twisty of good technical riding.

 

[ridindirty800]

Ezra is right about the lawsuits, and it's pathetic that you can get nailed to a wall when someone who should not have been there in the first place gets hurt, then tries to hurt you.

Ridingdirty800 five stars to you for what you are doing. Not just in getting them involved, but also for being one **** of a stepfather to be. I hope they love you, appreciate you, and one day they tell you. This is coming from a stepchild that had a lot of anger issues to get thru, put their stepfather thru misery, finally grew up and realized that he was a great guy. He is awesome with my children and they adore him. I hope you are or do end up in the positive situation.

Thanks WorkHardPlayHard. Yeah they treat me well but I know what you mean.