Snowmobiling, 2015-16 Edition

[Mule]

Lotta riding...
Loaded up and heading to FtC...


Move everything into the 550 and head south... Yay friday-night rush-hour traffic


Wolf Creek's always good snow though.

[Mule]

Then help out with Matt Entz's Mountain Skillz class.


Basic avalanche class... terrain evaluation and companion rescue is the focus.




Good crew.


Dig a snow pit and look at the layers...


...including a depth hoar layer near the surface that can provide a bed surface for a slide.


Never got that slope to break though... we tried.


Matt demonstrates how he digs a snow pit...




Couple more scenarios, what-went-right/what-went-wrong, then do an average-burial-depth dig in the plowed snow by the parking lot... that's a lot more like the snow you'd be digging in during an avalanche rescue.


Wonder if they make one of these for snowmobiles.

[Mule]

Last week was spent in SE Wyoming with Wisconsin's Miss Snowflake and crew: https://www.awsc.org/About-Us/Miss-Snowflake.aspx





By the end of the first day, they were already exhausted.


Recent slide in the Seven Fools area. Geek out here for a while




Group photo, friday


Snow's breddy gud for new years.


Lessons on sidehilling/carving... always a challenge for those from the land of flat.




who's that nerd...


Little slide in the bowl (crown line's visible in the sun, just towards me of the rock face) happened sometime that day... hadn't slid when we rode by there in the morning. Been a good week.

[Snowsled]

Guess I better post an update too! It has been a great early season.

Had a great day on Red Mtn Pass. The snow in the trees was awesome



and kind of bare on top with Silverton down valley in the distance.


Maggies Kitchen "420 Burger" in Ouray after the ride


More snow!


Power Wagon rescues Ford truck and trailer from the ditch on the FS road



Ice falls...



Ski Doo in the creek bottom LOL


Cooling off a little...


Before...

During...

After...

[Mule]

Last week was a grand tour across the Rockies... Intro class in the Snowies, drove up to West Yellowstone monday, rode there for a while... back to Steamboat Friday for a saturday of riding (we'll call it "scouting") with another intro class on sunday.

Bigger class last weekend. Bunch of noobs, so it was good to get the basics done before they headed out into the mountains.


Usual topics... terrain evaluation, group dynamics, companion rescue


Couple of the kids started getting chilly... stop and get a fire going... tried the fire steel/carbide first, wood was deceptively wet... then I got tired of them screwing around and cracked off a flare to get shit going.




Got everything loaded up and headed north


Snow was better than when we were there last year, but it was still thin. Hopefully get some more snow before I'm up there next week.


Saw a wolf in the Tepee Creek area. Followed its tracks around the meadow for a bit, kind of cool.


Focus of this trip is avalanche education - new motorized-specific instructor training curriculum.


Sort of a "dream team" of avalanche professionals, riders, guides, and educators from US and Canada. Good group, good times.


And not surprisingly, I was able to munch up some parts.

[Mule]

And since we're up this way... swing through Klim for a factory tour. Klim's one of our sponsors.
Conveniently, my shock repair guy's about 2mi north of their facility. Dropped off my bent shock (and a blown-out rear that I've needed to have rebuilt for a few weeks now) and drove to Klim's headquarters.


They've done some remodeling/expanding recently. I've ridden with this guy!


Come a long way over the years


Showing off some new products. Klim manufactures high-end snowmobile and motorcycle gear.


Did I mention they got big?




Pretty sweet gear on display. Same setup I'm rockin this year.


Wrapped up there about the time Andy was buttoning up my track shock. Pick that up on our way out of town, couple bolts and i'm ready to ride the next day.


Pics from Steamboat this weekend coming up when I get through them...

[Mule]

Been slacking off updating this thread... January was crazy... long story short, totalled my Pro, and picked up a new '16 Assault this weekend.

[Mr.Smith]

Nice Sled, sorry about the old unit. Sounds like it all worked in your favor though...

[Mule]

Worked out well. I was gonna send my '12 down the road this summer anyways, wasn't sure whether I was going to part it out or just sell it outright and be done... so I already had an idea how much they were going for and parts value. Insurance came back with a number even after buyback that was in line with what I was expecting from just selling it, so that worked out real well. Made the decision fairly simple.
So now my garage is really crowded with two sleds and a moto.... set up the new one, part out the '12.

[Snowsled]

You are going to LOVE the Axys, sooooo much better than the Pro! Better power, better balance, better build quality. I have to decide pretty quickly here if I am going to snow check a 2017....

[Mule]

Yeah, I like it so far. Front end is real wide though, might do something with that this summer. I like it (should be awesome on the race track), but it doesn't fit in my truck or between trees quite as well.
Been going through it, checking over everything, getting it set up... Polaris has gotten better at electrical routing, but there's still things I'm having to go through and fix.
Chaincase/track tension check tonight, do a ski alignment, load up, pack up, and go. Photoshoot for Ortovox this weekend.

[Snowsled]

Aftermarket is the answer for the front end. Either you get insanely weak aluminum arms like mine, or sturdy but wide steel versions on the Assault. I think I may go with the 37" K-Mod front end on mine when the budget allows.

[Mule]

Right, but the Assault's shocks are longer too, so it's more than just A-arms and tie rods.
Fortunately Zbroz is a sponsor.

[cruz]

420 Burger ...

[yooper68]

Looks like you had a lot of good times snowmobiling; maybe some year I will get an opportunity to experience mountain riding. For now, I'm pretty satisfied with my UP "flatland" field & bush riding; my sleds rarely get more than 1 mile or so from home; but we do enjoy them just the same. Here is a couple pictures from this year. Well, tried to attach a couple pictures but doesn't seem to work right now - try another time. Just picked up a couple weeks ago a 2011 Ski Doo Tundra Xtreme to go with my 2003 Ski Doo Tundra that we have had for 8-9 years - overall I am very satisfied with both. The boys & I ride (always from home) every chance we get.

[Mule]

Still riding! Got about another month before I put the sled away.
Photo shoot (and sled recovery... ), couple of intro classes, set up some new beacon checkpoint stations, then a few freeride days with sponsors before heading over to Jackson for the hillclimbs.














Freestylers...

[Mule]

ugh... summer sucks.