wow this thread really makes me be thankful i live in Bozeman Mt. I am only like 30 miles to some of the awesome riding here. I can be in 4ft powder in 45 mins.
Mid West Mountain Sleds?
- Thread starter AKM7
- Start date
I live in chicago ,,,,(sometimes) and keep my DragonTT8 and my Xp-146in a storage lot 10 minutes from the Denver airport and comute, also leave my renegade XP and firecat in the UP at my house there and comute to there. then theres the summer comute but thats a different story!!! PS round trip ftom chicago to denver is about $192 early bird special!!!!!! it cost me $110 for one tank for deisel in my superduty I think I'L fly!!!!!!!!!!!!
fly and ride the only way 2 go
1st trip of the year we drive 'em out (17hrs) and leave 'em in storage at Hayden airport then fly back and forth 4 times a season stay for a week and drive 'em home the last trip ($225 round trip from chicago to steamboat)
1st trip of the year we drive 'em out (17hrs) and leave 'em in storage at Hayden airport then fly back and forth 4 times a season stay for a week and drive 'em home the last trip ($225 round trip from chicago to steamboat)
Due to the little bit of snow we get now, you can't buy a new sled with intentions to ride around here. Most of the sales at local dealerships are mountain sleds or crossovers so when we get no snow people have adequate sleds for moutain riding.
We'll, after hearing all this I better stop complaining about having to drive 2 hrs when the 1 hr riding area doesn't have enough powder.
I hear yeah on this one, when the snowies suck I guess its time to drive to rabbit ears or other colorado destinations haha
I plan on making a trip to MI's Upper peninsula in a week or so, Once the holiday warriors go back to their cities.
I'll make sure I have my camera in my pack and send you guys some pictures of what we have for deep snow riding.
I think you will be surprised at how deep it gets from the lake effect snow machine coming off lake superior.
I was up there late last season and thought I was on solid snow when i got off the sled, In a few short moments I was up to my armpits and had to climb onto the tops of the ski's to get back on my sled. I knew right then there why polaris came out with their "Gripper Ski"
After some tree riding and digging out a few times without shovels, we decided to hit some frozen swamps that had real deep snow on them so I could try to learn how to carve this sled. I still need some work on that end of riding.
I think I spent more time crawling back to the sled than I was actually on it. But damn it was fun!!
then we hit the powerlines with its huge ravines and iced up trails, the only way we could get out of the ravines was by making our own tracks over dead trees and climbing near vertical walls. and all within the same 1,000 feet of elevation so clutching didn't need to be changed.
Take a look on google for the "Copper peak Hillclimb" in Ontonagon Michigan that might give you guys an idea of what we got. More compact but just as steep!
I'll make sure I have my camera in my pack and send you guys some pictures of what we have for deep snow riding.
I think you will be surprised at how deep it gets from the lake effect snow machine coming off lake superior.
I was up there late last season and thought I was on solid snow when i got off the sled, In a few short moments I was up to my armpits and had to climb onto the tops of the ski's to get back on my sled. I knew right then there why polaris came out with their "Gripper Ski"
After some tree riding and digging out a few times without shovels, we decided to hit some frozen swamps that had real deep snow on them so I could try to learn how to carve this sled. I still need some work on that end of riding.
I think I spent more time crawling back to the sled than I was actually on it. But damn it was fun!!
then we hit the powerlines with its huge ravines and iced up trails, the only way we could get out of the ravines was by making our own tracks over dead trees and climbing near vertical walls. and all within the same 1,000 feet of elevation so clutching didn't need to be changed.
Take a look on google for the "Copper peak Hillclimb" in Ontonagon Michigan that might give you guys an idea of what we got. More compact but just as steep!
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Snappy Sledder
Well-known member
except the past couple weeks ther was enough to ride in the ditches
I'm not bashing, just curious! I notice a lot of members from Mich, Minn, Iowa and other states asking questions about their long track mountain sleds. Are there really enough mountains around to justify a mountain sled?
There are definately not any mountians around here, but as others have stated, we do get our fair share of snow. In the Lake Effect Snow belts of the Upper Peninsula, you can find 4-6 feet of snow on the ground in January and February. If you are into boondockin, a long track is a must.
3 years ago I bought my 05 summit in Windom, MN at Jaycoxs (near the Iowa border).
I wanted to use my dads old 95 indy 500 as a trade in but they said they only take long tracks!
I wanted to use my dads old 95 indy 500 as a trade in but they said they only take long tracks!
Wish I Lived Closer
I probably live the furthest away. 24 hr. trip one way from South Carolina. Try to get out west (Snowies, RE, or GL) twice a year. Look forward to the trip every year. Some times I'm able to get up to Penn. when they have snow and use the same sleds, a T-cat 144" and F7 144". Looking at getting M sleds in the coming years and would ride them in Penn also.
I probably live the furthest away. 24 hr. trip one way from South Carolina. Try to get out west (Snowies, RE, or GL) twice a year. Look forward to the trip every year. Some times I'm able to get up to Penn. when they have snow and use the same sleds, a T-cat 144" and F7 144". Looking at getting M sleds in the coming years and would ride them in Penn also.
The drive
I live on the Wisconsin/Minnesota border and drive out 3 times a year. The drive is no big deal with good roads and a good group of guys. Get some guys in the truck start talking about riding, put in a snow DVD and next thing you know your there. Be safe, Lots of AVY's this year.
I live on the Wisconsin/Minnesota border and drive out 3 times a year. The drive is no big deal with good roads and a good group of guys. Get some guys in the truck start talking about riding, put in a snow DVD and next thing you know your there. Be safe, Lots of AVY's this year.
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CuzzinOlaf
Active member
Do you keep the sleds in SC? That has to be a site when you're rolling into a gas station.
Billy Bob - Hey, look, ders won uf dem sno machines
Jessup - Yessiry, I wunder if it will work like a pattle boat on dem der lakes
Biilly Bob - I dunno but I'd sure like to try me won uf dem, looks like some fun
Jessup - Shud up! You can't even drive the tractor down to the sto to get some Nattie Lite
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high time
Well-known member
I've ridden all over out West, but live in Northern MN
What's the big deal. You put four in the Excursion and go leave here in the morn. In Revy the next morn. One guy keeps the driver company and the others get rested.
I've found that many of us have better more trustworthy sleds than the locals. Some of you guys ride ragged haywired togethered sleds. When we make a bigger deal of our vacation, we build some great sleds. In our group we have sleds that climb with the best of the Westerners. Actually we are friends with the well known movie riders. A couple of the guys in Thunderstuck are flatlanders...Go figure. Want to try me?
Owen
What's the big deal. You put four in the Excursion and go leave here in the morn. In Revy the next morn. One guy keeps the driver company and the others get rested.
I've found that many of us have better more trustworthy sleds than the locals. Some of you guys ride ragged haywired togethered sleds. When we make a bigger deal of our vacation, we build some great sleds. In our group we have sleds that climb with the best of the Westerners. Actually we are friends with the well known movie riders. A couple of the guys in Thunderstuck are flatlanders...Go figure. Want to try me?
Owen
I usually ride the UP 2-3 times per year with my 03 f7, which handles the deep stuff pretty well, although I have never ridden a deep snow sled. Going out west for the first time in a few days and will be renting a dragon 800 which I'm sure will be great. After reading all these posts I've almost convinced myself I should buy a mountain sled as I never ride trails anyways. I'm sure after the trip I'll be fully convinced
Do you keep the sleds in SC? That has to be a site when you're rolling into a gas station.
Sleds are kept in SC. I like working on them and making sure everything is ready for winter. There are plenty of looks at many of the gas stations I stop at on the way out.
Once I rode out west trail riding in MI has as much appeal as the 27 hour drive to Tog.in my truck. I came home and snowchecked a RMK and bought another one the next year. Learned how to ride'm in the Huron Mt's in the UP. The difference between riding out west and riding the UP is in the UP I don't bother to fold up my shovel. The trees are much closer together so you get stuck more. Remember the boys from E_Z_RYDE are in Houghton Mi. and their skids ROCK the mountains. Instead of riding three weekends per month in Mi. I just go west for one week per month instead. The worst part is after three weeks without riding each trip feels like the first ride of the season!
I love both kinds of riding but am too picky about performance to ride a crossover, so... see siggy.
I believe, out west US, has less people alone killed in Avs then MI has in sled wrecks per year. Must realize that MI has many more registered sleds plus visiting out of staters on their trailes than most states.
Trail riding got old for me after riding 2000-2500miles per yr. We used to head to Ca to ride, but with poor exchange rates and etc, it was cheaper to go west, obviously got into the deep stuff in the mean time. I still ditch bang the 162" in MI, but just not on the trails.
I exchanged many UP trips to one 10day vacation out west, but now just hit the UP a couple times......well, that is based upon last years economy!
Trail riding got old for me after riding 2000-2500miles per yr. We used to head to Ca to ride, but with poor exchange rates and etc, it was cheaper to go west, obviously got into the deep stuff in the mean time. I still ditch bang the 162" in MI, but just not on the trails.
I exchanged many UP trips to one 10day vacation out west, but now just hit the UP a couple times......well, that is based upon last years economy!
