Is riding really that important to you..?

[XC700116]

I'm from MN, lived there most of my life. I took one trip into the mountains and realized that I would always have a place for the mtns in my life one way or another.

I've sacrificed MANY MANY things in life for my career but snowmobiling is not one of them. Spent countless nights in school after work, lived in fricken TX for a year, and Due to my job there is no way that I could expect to have a meaningful relationship with a woman or have kids. But I always have had a sled since I got out of tech school 11 yrs ago (and while growing up).

Traveled countless miles, spent more money than I would ever want to tally, and pulled tons of all nighters in the garage for this sport and I will always do it until my body will no longer allow me.

In the future I will most likely move back to MN but once again will continue to make the pilgrimage every year. I will always own a sled, it is therapy for me, weather it be busting powder (preferable) or even the 200 miles of trail running a day back home in MN, IT IS MY PRIORITY IN LIFE.

 

[woodpecker]

winter dread

I hear peaple talk all the time on the radio, about how they hate winter .The shortend days, lack of sun, cost of heat blaa, blaa, blaa. If you don't find a way to deal with it you can mentally make yourself sick. Sleds are a great escape. I can't remember how many times I've told my kids "sorry its to cold to ride today" It is something to look forward to, Ya the roads are slick and you have to shovel your truck out of the driveway evrey other day learn to deal with it you'll be happer and live longer .

 

[BullHead]

been riding ever since i was a little kid, and being from bc with all the mountains, i love winter too much to ever give it up, every winter i have to snowmobile, its just apart of my life too much to stop, i would never travel to a hot place to get away from winter, now currently i live in a place where most of you have warmer weather for the winter, right now its -40C outside which is -40F as well, so winters elsewhere just dont feel cold anymore, i still snowmobile, and will travel 1000s of kms to go back to the moutains i miss so very much, thats about 3000kms one way, but at least there is snow on the ground here 9 months of the year

 

[indysledhedd]

I live in central Indiana use to sled da up of michigan started going to the mountains 4 years ago and yes I live for it I must I travel close to 30 hrs to get out there 2 or 3 times a year and spend the rest of my time surfing forums and modding my summit and my wife hates me for it also, but it is in my blood and will continue to do it as long as i can or afford it

 

[hiboost woody]

its a long summer without mtn sledding. I'm like a drug addict waiting for a fix. all my friends that went a few times to mtns quit cause they said they were too old for that. now all my mtn sledding buds are young enough to be my kids. but life is good in the mtns. make 2-3 trips a year, 1000 miles one way. take my 15 yr old daughter along on one trip every year. she's as passionate for mtn riding as I am. guess I will quit went I can't get on a sled any more

 

[2bills]

I own a house in the montians work on the prarrie travel 6 hours betwwen work and home to have the montian life seems crazy at times but would never give up the montian life

 

[candoandy08]

my exwife wanted to move away from snow I SURE MISS HER

 

[rev154hc]

I grew up in Cache Valley which is in Northern Utah in a little town called Wellsville, I remember as a young kid sitting on the porch and watching the hillclimbs that used to take place on a hill they called Hogsback. I remember the sound of the screaming sleds as they hauled up the mountain, I must have been around 5. If you live in Cache Valley you are exposed to it whether you ride sleds or not. Half of this valley hillclimbs in the RMSHA. My family is not into the sport at all, they don't understand why I love it, they don't know the feeling of deep powder, carving, jumping, and the freedom that goes along with it. I now am 27 I purchased my first sled in 2004, 2003 rev with a 144 it was a POS thanks to the local dealership, then snow checked a 2007 summit x 151, then bought a 98 summit x 670 and now a 2009 hillclimb edition. To answer the question before I get carried away, it means more to me then alot of things in life, just this past November I found the wonderful world of Snowest and dootalk my wife doesnt think it's so wonderful, I never leave the computer at night. I laugh til I cry, and then tear up when I watched the vid of the guy that was involved in the avalanche in Fernie, Yes I have to ride now questions asked, sorry it's so long for my 1st post

 

[Farmy22]

I consider sledding a very important part of my well-being. I grew up in the UP of michigan so as my wife says, "i was born with a sled under my butt". I have made at least one trip up there every year since i joined the military just to go, even if i had to rent. I didnt make my first trip out west until Last year. LOVED IT!! I had been wanting to go out there for years and finally got the chance. This year i am in Iraq and might miss the whole season. It pains me to no end. If theres anything i miss besides the wife, its snow. Especially when i see what looks to be the best year for snow everywhere in quite some time. Theres even enough to ride in North Dakota. My wife and i have even planned having a kid in such a way as to not miss a season. She loves riding too but not as much as me.

 

[captaindean]

Live to ride

we moved to Wyoming from Hawaii 6yrs ago and told my wife that if i cant ride then i dont want to live here just my 2 cents

 

[REV GUY]

Moved from Minnesota to Alaska just to be around the mountains and riding. I was sick of driving so damn far every year to the mountains. So I placed myself in the middle of the best riding in the world, with no regrets. You have one life to live and you might as well do the things you love with the 1 life you have.

FIND WHAT INSPIRES YOU AND KNOW IT PASSIONATELY

 

[stuckchuck]

I think being happy is what's important. Besides being with my family and fishing, can't think of anything that makes me happier than ripping through a field of fresh pow.......................

 

[live2ride]

To the person that gave me neg rep for this!!!!

Hmmmm, great question. I grew up on snowmobiles as a family activity. I did not play sports, but would do Rec Center activities during the week. We were on the mountains from Friday after school until Sunday night. This was all year long actually. Anyways, snowmobiling to me is a passion that I will not give up, I will make other sacrifices to keep it going. I was offered a job in TX for 6-10 mths. making great money, housing partially paid. I could not do it. I was a single mom and chose to stay and work a less paying job to be happy and ride. Raise my son to enjoy life, love the mtns, and make the most of it with what you have. My parents moved in 86 to make more money, they will be the first ones to tell anyone that money is not worth it. They quit there jobs, and moved back to Wyoming in 91. So snowmobiling to me, is something I will not live without, and had to have a partner/spouse that was as passionate about it as I am. Tried dating guys that just did not have the passion, it never worked out. That is my story and I am stickin to it

Kiss my AZZ!!! I don't know why you think it is sad, I have had a GREAT life and would not change any of it. But for more detail on my decisions to stay where the snow was, here you go........I would have had to move my son to TX for 6-10 months, I would have worked 12+ hour days 6-7 days a week, then when the job was done I would have had no job, or would have transfered to another town. This was a temporary job offer. We would have known no one, and he would have had to stay with someone he did not know while I was working on the weekends and after school during the week. So me choosing to stay where the stability was, including a lesser paying job, family including his father, was by far a better decision. Money is not always the answer, and I know of MANY very wealthy people who are not happy and don't really have any true friends. Oh yea, and as far as dating a guy that did not ride, it was not my fault they did not like me doing what I had always done. They wanted me to change it was not going to happen. Take me for who I am, and what I do. Raising my son to love snowmobiling and enjoying life and never on any state assistance is a huge accomplishment for me, so next time you wanna rep someone negative have the ballz to put your name!!!

 

[suitcase]

I do supose that it is taken for granite living close to great riding!! we are lucky. However no one would beable to live with me if I did not have snow to ride. And would not live anywhere that there was no big mountians to climb. I would find a diffrent line of work if I had too. Riding is most of my fun. I work all summer long just to have my winters to sled. On the last day of riding in the spring Im waiting for the next winter. so yes life would end mybe not for me but everyone around me. It is a passion

 

[SpeedRacer8888]

While watching the news this morning, the weather girl while nice to look at, mentioned that we can all be relieved that the winter storm is going to head to our south this weekend and we won't get any accumulation this weekend. She went on about how much snow we have had this year and how shoveling is no fun, the cold temps are no fun, and when is summer finally going to come again?

As I began to get angry and wanted to reach through the TV and tell her to shut up, because many of us love snow and love winter. I also realized that sledding is a passion and no matter how far in life I may end up living from fresh powder, I will always have a trailer in the driveway with sleds ready to hit the road. I am lucky to live by snow and can make a trip or two out west each year. I will always find someway to feed my passion and addiction.

SnoWest is my support group. My name is Andrew, and I am addicted to sledding.

 

[wildreaper]

Riding is very Important to a lot of us it is more than a hobby. I work in Northern Alberta and work a 10 days on 4 off rotation, traveling 7-9 hours to get to work on Tuesday and the same to return on a Thursday. And during the winter I am home long enough to fill the Jerry cans with race fuel and grab the sledding gear and then head west to BC for either a 3.5 hour drive to Golden or a 7 hour drive to Sicamous. Alot of traveling for 3 days riding but nothing compares to those three days.
Great to hear everyone's stories of how sledding id a part of you life

 

[Nate]

No not really. I started out on a 440 and tried every new chassis from 95 and up of pretty much every maker and ended my career on a turbo m7. I quit sledding this year because I bought a house and that seemed more important. Would I do it again? well yah, im already somewhat building another mod sled , I just so happen to take the year off, and im glad I did. I could have not picked a better year to take a break from sledding. Learned alot in the 11 years ive been snowmobiling but its not that important to me. Guns are more important to me than sleds by far, if it came to pick and choose between the 2 id pick guns So no, snowmobiling isnt that important, it is what it is, and thats a hobby. I dont even miss it this year

 

[longtrack156]

I have been sledding since 1967 and now at age 69-3/4 I go out alone if I have too. That's what it means to me!

 

[Bones99]

I'll tell you what snowmobiling means to me. I lost my brother in law in the avalnche near Fernie, that first night I had decided to sell my sled, burn it whatever, after some long hard thought many sleepless nights, many tears, many laughs I realized that snowmobiling is more than just riding a machine. Snowmobiling is about being with family and friends and enjoying what I consider to be the most beutiful place in the world, I will never give up my snowmobile, even if it may be a little hard to even look at right now but I know that will pass and when it does my machine better look out because I will ride that thing till it screams uncle.

 

[coloradoman25]

Alienating myself here but I will say that as much as I enjoy it I can take it or leave it. Its convenient to kill winter, but the rest of the year (feb-nov) I tournament fish and that is more my passion. Yes of course im a redneck lol