White Out & Wide Open—The Blog
This is a challenging time of year for many snowmobilers. We’re starting to see nicer days with blue skies and sunshine in the valleys. Spring has really set in and there’s beginning to be a little green coming to life in the grass.
Yet in the higher elevations, the snow is probably the deepest it’s been all winter. Warm days and cold nights have solidified the base, providing a “go anywhere” surface for riding. This is the time of season when your riding opportunities up high are unlimited. You can go anywhere you have the courage to come down from. (Going up is seldom an issue … coming down, however, shows you that gravity trumps horsepower.) Of course, this is also the time of year when your mistakes on the mountain can be magnified. (You don’t just bend a front end, you relocate it to the middle of the sled.)
There’s just something about spring and snowmobiling. On one hand, you’re beginning to be just a little tired of the cold and anxious to get back into warm-weather activities. On the other hand, extending the riding season out a couple more weeks, or even months, will certainly make the summer go by faster.
The challenge is committing yourself to travel to where the snow is. Once you do, you glad you did. Longer days make for better rides.
This past week I’ve been taking advantage of some good weather in an attempt to re-establish my golf game. But on one particular course, as I walk down the fairways I can see the snowcapped mountains off in the distance. The contrast between the blue sky and the white-topped mountains seem to magnify the view from the valley. (It’s hard to concentrate on the little white ball when I’m thinking about the fun I could be having on a big white mountain/)
From past experience, I know that there’s good riding left to be had. I also know there are better days for golfing, or yard work, or for whatever tends to keep one content to remain in the city.
This time of year the storms seem to move through the area a little faster. That’s why there’s so much wind. And the rain in the valley usually mean snow in the mountains. It’s just a matter of looking ahead, planning for the right days and committing to the ride.
So while it’s still spring, take advantage of the spring riding. After all, come August we’re all going to be whining about how summer had dragged on and looking for the first signs of snow flakes coming from the heavens next fall.
~SJ