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Spring: Seasons Are A-Changing
The obstacle to overcome in spring sledding is the changing conditions. The snow varies from ride to ride and from hour to hour, even while holding a line. Snow can change every five feet you sidehill.
In early spring you can enjoy good grip and soft landings, while in late spring you may have to tolerate slick and stiff conditions. Morning hours can be spent ice-skating, but by afternoon the snow may be slipping out from underneath your skis. In this season, you must stay focused. Failure to be attentive will have you skidding down the mountain with all the grace of a 4-year-old who recently had his training wheels removed. Many times, the snow will alternate from stiff to soft, and riders must adapt to slipping snow.
This spring snow is not without its perks, however. The snow coverage in early spring is at its maximum for the year. If you happen to be like the two members of our test-riding posse who suffer from sled-induced stupidity, then you will find yourself plotting courses to places you wouldn’t have dared (and probably shouldn’t ever attempt) earlier in the season. In addition, the fantastic traction makes it is easy to go vertical. We often call this ‘Hero-Snow Syndrome’.
In these changing snow conditions, riders need sleds that are easy to throw around. Reacting to the mountain’s offerings is key when riding in spring. Shorter track lengths are ideal – less track equals less weight and faster reaction time to change course. The Polaris 155 and Ski-Doo 154 sleds will allow riders to alternate between hard pack and wet and heavy snow.
A shorter, stiffer lug is ideal for spring snow. The objective is to amplify traction to permit the rider to modify the course when needed. The benefit of a 2.5-inch lug is that it will not lie down when descending a hill. This allows for maximum traction and maneuverability as you work your way downward. What goes up must come down, and keeping that downward momentum in check should be your goal in spring.
Any Snow: Better Than Summer!
When deciding what sled length is the most advantageous to purchase, first consider your riding style and try to anticipate which type of snow you will spend the most time on this season. Ideally, it would be nice to have both a 153- to 165-inch track with 2.5–3-inch lugs and a 174-inch track with 3-inch lugs in your fleet. However, many of us also like to feed our kids and put gas in our cars, and we still appreciate you having enough money to purchase an
AmSnow subscription! So, if you don’t have the cash for two sleds, take comfort in the fact that sitting on any length sled, in any snow conditions, beats sitting on a lawn mower.