8. When it’s good, it’s real good. OK, this is actually the hardest part to explain and the whole reason for the commotion and dollars put into the sport. The feeling of riding a snowmobile in bottomless powder is insanely awesome. It goes something like this:
apply throttle … watch the snow pour over the hood of your sled and instinctively start smiling … feel the feather light snow pummel your body in a blanket of bliss … continue to apply throttle … giggle like a schoolgirl … use your brake hand to wipe the snow off your goggles so you can see … continue to apply throttle for the next eight hours or until you run out of gas … get to the truck and realize you were having too much fun to eat, drink or take photos the entire day (said no trail hiker* ever).
I literally don’t know what else to say. Words are not enough. You gotta try it.
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So there you have it. My eight hippie epiphanies (hippiphanies) of my first season on a sled.
I’m already dreading the long spring, summer and fall I will have to endure before getting back on the snow with Fabio. I know I’ll have rock climbing, biking and kale salad to fill my time, but seriously, un-winter is a long season.
Looking out a little farther, here is my prediction for the future. The values of outdoor recreation will blur the lines of motorized vs. non-motorized winter travel. Skiers will buy a snowmobile to access new places, only to discover the approach on the sled is actually more fun. In turn, snowmobilers will buy skis. Just kidding, that would be dumb. Why would you do that?
Ride sleds. It will make you happy. Happy people make the world a better place. Damn, I sound like a hippie again.