East coast style trail riding

[Oregonsledder]

Hello SnowWest! I'm a fairly new member, so I hope this topic doesn't start a firestorm LOL

My question to this membership is this.... If most of your riding was limited to groomed trail riding (like I see on most YouTube videos from the midwest and East coast), would you snowmobile?

I for one would not. I was introduced to snowmobling 4 years ago by some nice folks who had an extra snowmobile. The guy was from Wyoming and for some reason had mainly ridden on trails. His sleds were all short track sleds.

My first experience was a day at Mt. Bachelor riding at a fairly high rate of speed on the groomed trails. We burnt an entire tank of gas in about a half a day of riding, and I was pooped! LOL

I really didn't find the experience that much fun. As it turns out I got bored with our long winters and told my wife we should buy a couple of machines and see what the fuss is all about.

Luckily, my wife works with some local snowmobile fanacitics who understand mountain riding. We were introduced to off trail, and the steep and deep, and I was hooked!

I am very thankful to our Eastern brothers and sisters, because without them snowmobiling would not be what it is today, but I got to say I'm surprised it ever took off, given the kind of riding opportunities many of them have.

Am I missing something, because I would sell my snowmobiles if most of my riding was sitting down riding trails??

Larry... AKA Oregonsledder

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

i might be into the drag racing thing as I love to build and tinker, but thats about it. I LIVE to be the only crew unloading in a whole riding area and working the deep pow in the hills.

I had fun ripping trails the first few times i was out. then i found you could get off them. WOW. glad i had that realization.

 

[tdblakes]

Since I have been riding off-trail and boondocking, whenever I have to ride trails it is about as exciting as driving on the hwy ALLL DAY just to end up back home... its ok for the first half hour then you're bored. At the end of the day you didn't learn or do anything new, spent way too much on gas, and didnt end up getting anywhere cool.

If I couldn't ride off trail ever, I highly doubt I would own a sled. That goes for almost all powersports I think. Luckily thats not the case...

If I had to get into another motorsport I would probably try to get into some kind of car racing.

 

[suitcase]

first of all welcome to snowest!!!

If I lived back there and had to stay on the trails, because that is all there is, I would have any intrest in having snowmobiles. I do like to get out in the winter but I would get hooked up with the groomer and drive it around!! Riding on trails sucks!!!

 

[tudizzle]

yep riding on the trail sucks...but sometimes its all you got.....and you just suffer thru it.

 

[ruffryder]

Sometimes trails can be fun.. like the tight and twisty trails. Normally the grooming can be better in the midwest / east.

Also don't forget there is a lot of off trail riding to be had in the midwest. 1ft of snow gets mighty fun with a 121" 0.75" paddle track.

I think for some it is the only means of getting out and enjoying the outdoors in the wintertime, too.

 

[Anon]

I'm out east and I agree that if all there was out east was trails I wouldn't ride snowmobiles either.

Luckily, when sitting on the side of the trail, you just have to look off to the side and see that there's not only trails. Sure we don't have 'Mountains', it's more like hills, but some areas aren't as flat as others.

Keep in mind that our off-trail riding isn't just racing across fields on short tracks in 6 inches of snow. The 'good' spots might go up to 4000' high and have well over 12 feet of snow. I would say I am lucky for an easterner as I have a handful of play areas that go from 2000' to 3000', up to 10' of snow.

Keep in mind that I hate every one of you guys that post pictures of you riding in what I would consider paradise, and would like nothing more then to move out west so I have more then 3 months of half decent riding.

 

[Oregonsledder]

Now that's trail riding! Great video.

 

[snowmobiler]

i would still ride and have fun on the trails.cant beet the rush of snowmobiling.trails are way more fun than skiing or sitting home knitting a scarf.

 

[roughrider99]

I rode trails and bombed around in fields and ditches and travelled to several trail riding destinations. Got introduced to mountain riding 8 years ago. Never been trail riding since. I did the 12 hr round trip to the mountains as much as possible till I moved west.

 

[jgd]

Each has its place. Those that say trail riding is boring though obviously aren't riding hard enough. Railing corners and hitting road approaches/ditch drives at 70+ mph is far from boring. Talking about riding purpose built performance "trail" sleds like they should be ridden, not mtn sleds on the trail...

 

[Oregonsledder]

No place on multi use trails for that!

JGD... I still don't get it. I have seen the type of riding you describe, and IMHO it has no place on normal multi use snowmobile trails. I know an emergency room doctor who has seen many head on collisions resulting from high speed drifts around blind corners. If guys want to race on purpose built trail sleds, (on designated race tracks) that's fine, but in mountain country, that type of rider is a big worry. 70 mile an hour ditch banging would also get boring quick if that's the highlight of the ride..... again IMHO.

 

[ruffryder]

70 mile an hour ditch banging would also get boring quick if that's the highlight of the ride..... again IMHO.

If that is all you got, you will find a way to have fun. Just like if all you have is an older sled for riding in the mountains. You will find a way to have fun.

 

[tdblakes]

exactly, if ppl have to ride like a moron to enjoy the sport and put others in danger, why bother doing it. I've had a couple close calls coming around corners in the UP where some dope thinks hes driving a Formula 1 car hugging my side of the trail. stupid. By all means open it up when you can see and bury your speedo. if thats constantly fun for ppl then awesome. IMO it gets old fast. To each his own.

 

[jgd]

You're making some leaps there chief... We don't ride into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the trail, ever. How'd you glean that from my comment? Yeah, I take that "moron" comment personally. You can ride aggressive and not endanger others. My point is that slowmo trail riding can be boring vs riding more aggressively as simple as that. Sure we’ve all had our experiences with “people in my lane”, etc. Additionally by its very nature snowmobiling is an aggressive and dangerous sport. I don’t know anyone that rides just to get out and “commune” with nature. You’ll find Mountain and trail riders fast and slow wind up in the ER, for a variety of reasons. Yeah it’s easy to say “he was riding too fast”. Nature of the beast… IMO

exactly, if ppl have to ride like a moron to enjoy the sport and put others in danger, why bother doing it. I've had a couple close calls coming around corners in the UP where some dope thinks hes driving a Formula 1 car hugging my side of the trail. stupid. By all means open it up when you can see and bury your speedo. if thats constantly fun for ppl then awesome. IMO it gets old fast. To each his own.

 

[tdblakes]

You're making some leaps there chief... We don't ride into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the trail, ever. How'd you glean that from my comment? Yeah, I take that "moron" comment personally. You can ride aggressive and not endanger others. My point is that slowmo trail riding can be boring vs riding more aggressively as simple as that. Sure we’ve all had our experiences with “people in my lane”, etc. Additionally by its very nature snowmobiling is an aggressive and dangerous sport. I don’t know anyone that rides just to get out and “commune” with nature. You’ll find Mountain and trail riders fast and slow wind up in the ER, for a variety of reasons. Yeah it’s easy to say “he was riding too fast”. Nature of the beast… IMO

Oh no, I wasn't directing anything toward you at all. I was just saying that if ppl have to drive crazy and out of control to have fun on the trails then imo it wouldnt be worth it. If i'm on the trail, i'm riding aggressively but not dumb. I wasn't calling you a moron and didnt mean for it to come off that way, but I'm sure you're aware of the ppl I was talking about... thats all. Yea i know any powersport by nature is "dangerous" for the individual, i was just saying they dont need to add danger for others. No different than when a group is himarking eachother on an avalanche prone hill. wasn't trying to offend you.

 

[snowmobiler]

boring is sitting on the couch.id ride 1970 olys down the trails and have fun.

 

[ruffryder]

boring is sitting on the couch.id ride 1970 olys down the trails and have fun.

Awesome photo!!! That was actually my first sled, well first one I rode. Broke my first bone with it too!