Flatlander planning a trip. Recommendations?

[600RacerX]

I'm sure you guys are asked this question a lot, but:

I am looking to plan a trip out west some time this winter. Dates were either: Thanksgiving, Xmas, Easter, or the second weekend of february.

I am an aggressive trail rider here in Wisconsin, but want to see some of that POW. I have pretty much zero deep pow experience, but I'm not a girl about it either. A good guide/teacher would be required. Huge steep mountains are not necessary. Definitely needs to be scenic, but riding terrain doesn't need to be huge. Just looking to boondock through the backcountry, hit jumps, and some mild climbs with the minimum amount of groomed riding possible. Did I mention DEEP SNOW REQUIRED?

Looking for kind of a one stop shop. Fly in, shuttle to resort, sleds provided (or easily acquired) and a guide to make things simple.

I am on a budget, so nothing too overboard.
I will be coming alone (friends are too cheap), so hooking up with another group is probably necessary. I'm 18 if it makes a difference> before anybody asks, I'm not spoiled rotten; I work hard for my money and am paying for it myself.

Posted in WY just because it seems it has the most people. Open to ANY states or PROVINCES.

 

[PowderProject]

Togwotee Mountain Lodge Moran Wyoming
Probably the best bang for your buck in the west. Fly into Jackson Hole and take a shuttle to the lodge. Either rent a great cabin or stay in a hotel room. Sleds are there so rentals are easy. Food is decent and there is a great bar for apres sled. Terrain is a touch of everything. Fast fun trails to great tree riding to cornice hucking. Snow is some of the best in the lower 48. Guides are available. Hope this helps for you bud... cheers

 

[600RacerX]

thanks. There were only two places that I've kept stumbling upon. Togwotee and Revelstoke. I checked Revy and that's like at least $3k for one person.... I never really found any good info on Togwotee though.

Just looked into that. Looks really nice. From their explanation I'd be classified under the "intermediate offtrail" class of tour. Recommend a tour through them? Is there any cheaper hotels nearby and then just use their guide service? That place looks awfully nice for what I need.

 

[TurboMatt]

Your best bet is to buy a cheap mountain sled to get into it and hook up with someone from WI that heads out often. Like us, lol. We are always looking for guys to go out, help split the costs.
Renting sleds can get expensive, and you always have to be thinking in the back of your mind that you can't wreck it or it gets real expensive. You can buy a cheapish oldish mtn sled for damn near the same price you can rent a sled for a week in Tog. The best place to find them is to go to Haydays, begining of Sept. If it turns out mtn sledding isn't for you can turn around and sell it for the same price when you get home. If you wreck it at least you can bring home a pile of parts to sell(can't do that with a rental), if you like it, keep it and you have a sled to ride your next trip out. Also, since you are in WI you might want to think about heading up to the UP 1st to see it you like the deep powder. Much closer and it gives you a taste of what you will see out west.
PM if you wanna talk more.

 

[600RacerX]

I honestly would do that, but storage situation here is already REALLY tight (city lot). I am in the hunt for a sled this summer and have considered a summit 146" so I could still use it here. But another issue is that I really don't have the kind of time to drive there. Being in school yet, I can't take that many days off.

I am going to haydays this year and am planning Eagle River and Houghton for Xmas break with a friend.

On a side note, where do you play in the backcountry in the UP? I've never sledded there, so I don't really know how it works. Is it on state land or what?

 

[jake432]

Up has all sorts of backcountry, ironwood had good powerline backcountry, Copper harbor has powerlines as far as the trail sytems, marquette And munising have good tree riding and it geta deep so it just really depwnds on how far u drive

 

[600RacerX]

well, I'm planning on staying in L'anse so I can ride Copper harbor one day, Marquette another, and Ontonagon another. From experience, do you think you can ride that far in each day starting from L'anse/Baraga?

I'm having second guesses on going west this year. My dad really doesn't want to go, and all my riding buddies aren't gonna be old enough / have enough money either... and I know that riding alone really sucks.

 

[sledboy82]

you'll have fun in the up. i go every year and run into good snow and find away to get stuck many times. alot of my buds cant afford to go out west either so i know what you mean. enjoy

 

[turbolover]

.. and I know that riding alone really sucks.

Riding alone out west isn't really even an option. I have ridden across the farm fields a couple times but the back country it is like Playing Russian Roulette. You can ride farther in 10 minutes than you can walk in 10 hours in deep deep powder.

There are plenty of guys that would help play guide on here. If you cant hook up with a group headed to the Bighorns for a weekend then fly into Salt Lake and catch the shuttle to Rexburg. You could rent a sled in IP and I'll play guide for ya for a day or two. We can do everything from a family ride to all the steep you can handle.

I would say even try to hookup on the Forum ride and you'll have tons of great people that would play guide and teach you about powder.

 

[Fireman35]

sounds like your on the right track to get started, i have a place in the UP just north of Houghton and we go up all winter long and make a half dozen trips out to the snowies each year. We will be headed for haydays as well from lake geneva,wi area. If your serious about riding stay in touch and we will drag you around with us when you can. More than happy to help younger guys to get in to the sport,we only ride the back country up north,and out west.

 

[05900]

Sounds like you have a plan! If you want Togwotee info get ahold of "Carter" on here and he'll set you straight.
Out here you'll be lookin 151" min on a avg day a 16" 146 ski doo may work?

 

[600RacerX]

sounds like your on the right track to get started, i have a place in the UP just north of Houghton and we go up all winter long and make a half dozen trips out to the snowies each year. We will be headed for haydays as well from lake geneva,wi area. If your serious about riding stay in touch and we will drag you around with us when you can. More than happy to help younger guys to get in to the sport,we only ride the back country up north,and out west.

haha, I might just take you up on that. Gotta help save on gas. I can't even imagine what I spent driving all over WI last year just to find newer and better riding places. Never really found anything that was all that great.... just more of the same.

And thanks to the rest of you guys. This is really a nice forum. I'm on a bunch of other forums and this is by far the most 'welcoming' one per-say.

 

[3C Guiding]

i have been working on a package like that with loadges around the Snowy Range and should have it set up by hay days.

 

[600RacerX]

i have been working on a package like that with loadges around the Snowy Range and should have it set up by hay days.

Well let me know when you get something together. I'm figuring now that the trip would be during the 12/13 winter though.

 

[skiwiz]

SNOWIES

French Creek anyone ?