There are some snowmobilers whose only impression of western riding is what they experience in Montana. Nothin’ wrong with that. The riding in Montana is as good or better than anywhere in the West, evidenced by the number of snowmobiling spots that continually land in the Top 15 Trails in the West annual survey by SnoWest Magazine. There are usually at least two riding spots in the Top 15 every year but there have been as many as four in years past. For every one of those well-known snowmobiling spots in Montana, there’s another half-dozen lesser known but every-bit-as-good riding places that sledders enjoy every winter. There is range after range of mountains in the western third of the state, dominated by the Continental Divide/Rocky Mountains that separate Montana from its western neighbor, Idaho. Montana has two dozen well-defined riding areas where trails are groomed—3,500 miles in all—but that doesn’t include all the backcountry areas where there is no grooming. Riding in Montana will take you past places rich in history, mining towns, awesome scenery, spectacular mountain ranges, scenic lakes and rivers, pristine backcountry areas and impeccable trails. Montana does a good job of promoting snowmobiling and other winter sports. In addition to the state’s tourism website (www.visitmt.com), try www.wintermt.com.