SnoWest's 45th Anniversary

Published in the February 2019 Issue March 2019 Feature

SnoWest Magazine 45 Years Of Excellence

When Darryl Harris founded SnoWest Magazine, I wonder if he knew at that time what a profound effect that this magazine would have on the industry.

Over the years, SnoWest Magazine has played a crucial role, not only providing customers information, but also providing information to the manufactures—which challenged them to build better, more qualified sleds for the mountainous terrain we all enjoy so much. And the secret to their success, like many other successful businesses, lies within their employee ranks. Their staff consists of many long-term employees who are enthusiasts in the sport. They are the true assets of SnoWest magazine. 

I was first introduced to the staff at SnoWest Magazine by Jim Noble, founder of SLP, back in about 1994. That was back in a time that mountain sleds were built, not bought. SnoWest played a crucial role in the building process as it shared information on what parts were available, the sleds that were best suited for the mountain modifications and how-to articles regarding them. Each year they would build a “Project Sled” that was a no expense spared sled specifically built for their riding style and area. Then they would take it to the snow, making sure to put it through its paces and see just what it could and could not do.

I remember these times well. Back then, Steve Janes, Ryan Harris and Lane Lindstrom were our heroes in the industry. They were living their dream job and we were all a little jealous of them for it.

Steve may well have started “technical tree riding” as we know it today. I was on many a ride with him where he would put a technical line in the trees and let the carnage behind him commence. If you were lucky enough to be the second or even third in line, you may have a chance of following his track or trench, but if you were back in the pack beyond that, you had better plan on a long day of pulling skis, and getting others around you unstuck.

I think Steve’s main goal on most factory rides was to prove he was the best rider in the group. His advantage was he was excellent at picking lines (he still is) and wasn’t afraid to put the first track in an area. Trees for him were simply obstacles to weave around. For the rest of us, trees were targets, and we often hit them, but with any luck, both skis would end up on the same side of the tree. 

On one particular ride back in about 1994, Steve Janes, Jim Noble and I rode into Mount Jefferson. Lane may have been there, too. We got into the big chutes on the back side and Steve pointed the project sled up. To our amazement, he climbed about to the cornice where a soft pocket of snow sucked him in and there he was stuck in a very precarious situation.

We all watched from the safety of the valley floor below as Steve pulled out his shovel and made a shelf to pull his sled onto. Then with the burp of the throttle, he swung the sled off the ledge and came flying down the chute (tracks back in the day didn’t have much stopping force, so it wasn’t uncommon to see speeds in excess of 60 mph coming down something like that). Later that evening over dinner, Steve made the comment that, “It’s lonely at the top” (meaning you should be capable of getting your sled unstuck alone as no other person may be able to safely get to you). For the whole time I have known him, Steve has been an excellent rider, always pushing the sleds to their limits and giving excellent feedback in the pages of SnoWest Magazine. He was my inspiration to become better at riding in the trees. Someday, I hope to be as good as he is.

My first encounter with Ryan was riding with him, Steve and Jim Noble. Again, we were in the Mount Jefferson area of Island Park. Ryan was in his late teenage years at the time. He was strong as an ox, with a long, lanky build which was perfect for mountain snowmobiling. Being part of the Harris family, he had been snowmobiling for virtually his entire life. This experience along with his build gave him some sick riding skills and he could do things on a sled that most thought impossible. On that ride, I witnessed Ryan pull off the first “re-entry” that I had ever seen. If I remember right, he was on the 1993 XLT Project Sled. The snow was deep and Ryan shot up a steep hill, touched the cornice at the top, pirouetted the sled and dropped it back down the hill. The maneuver was amazing to watch. I’m not sure to this day that he planned it that way, but his tall, lanky body shape with the strength and balance of a teenager made it look easy. To this day, Ryan continues to be one of the most talented riders that I have ever met. I really enjoy riding with him every chance I get.

Lane Lindstrom was fairly new to SnoWest when I first met him. His riding style has always been a little more reserved than Steve or Ryan, but Lane is always a good sport no matter what bad, nasty terrain Steve, Ryan or someone else leads him into. Not long after meeting him, Steve, Jim Noble, Lane and I went on a ride in the Mount Jefferson area. Jim was leading the group and pulled us up to the top of a chute. He and Steve discussed the fact that they thought we could drop it that day (emphasis being on “thought”), and so they bailed off (did I mention it was near vertical at the top). We had fresh snow, but the entire chute was angled in such a way as to push the sleds toward the trees that guarded the entire right hand side and bottom which forced a downhill sidehill maneuver (this was a scary proposition back in that timeframe as it would be more than 10 years before Chris Burandt and Bret Rasmussen would invent and teach us how to do a proper descent slowly on one ski like we all do today.) Jim and Steve bailed off, and in doing so, took most of the fresh snow with them. Lane and I assessed the situation and decided that rather than risk wadding up a sled in the trees by trying to follow those two, we would take a little longer way around and meet them at the bottom. It was the right decision as we met back up with them shortly thereafter and were able to continue our day without any sled damage. I was glad Lane was with me that day, as without him, I would have fallen to the peer pressure of the situation and likely would have found myself on an out of control snowmobile hurling itself for the trees without enough fresh snow to slow its descent and gain control. That would have made for a miserable rest of the day as towing a sled out of there would have been nearly impossible.

For the past 25 years, I have spent a fair amount of time in the company of Steve, Ryan and Lane. These guys are a big part of the success that SnoWest Magazine has enjoyed. They are truly snowmobile enthusiasts who complement the skill sets of each other and work as a great team to provide us with the information we desire. I am grateful to them for their service and, yes, I am still a bit jealous of them for living their dream for so many years (but I guess I have, too). Continuing a successful business for 45 years is something to celebrate. Not many businesses ever reach this milestone. I’m excited to see what the next 45 years at SnoWest has to offer.

- Jerry Mathews

  • Like what you read?

    Want to know when we have important news, updates or interviews?

  • Join our newsletter today!

    Sign Up
You Might Also Be Interested In...
Share

Send to your friends!

Welcome to Snowest!

Have a discount code on us.

Discount Code: