Often when you snowmobile in the back country you find yourself traversing terrain that requires you do drop down into canyons or drainages in order to pick your way up to the top of the next ridge.
We caught up with Jeff Hart, Iona, ID, riding near Skyline Ridge in eastern Idaho. Hart offered some insight when picking your way through such situations.
“When I get to a spot like this, the first thing I’m looking for is openings in the bottom,” Hart said. “I’m trying to figure out how the drainages come together; how deep the creeks are going to be at the bottom.”
But getting to the bottom isn’t all you have to worry about. “When I get to the bottom, I’m looking to see where I can come out on the top,” he explained.
“I’m looking for openings through the trees and trying to find the widest path possible,” Hart said. “Sometimes you can go over the top of the smaller trees.”
If you are dropping into a canyon where you can’t see your exit plan on the other side, it’s always smart to pick a line down that can also be a retreat path if the bottom becomes impassable.