Snowmobile skiers hurting the image of snowmobiling?

[Jaynelson]

Agreed. There's certainly some internal strife between skiers who use sleds and the hardcore mountain sledder set.

That's a generalization....definetely not true in our region.

 

[Dogmeat]

I could care less if you knit and snowmobile as long as you aren't one of those pop-culture envirotards clamoring on and on about how we need more "wilderness areas".

 

[kidwoo]

Really? You must ride in a unique area. I Haven't met any riders in my area that aren't helpful or willing to lend a hand if needed. I find most of us here are pretty respectable in the sledding world. I'm sure there are a few out there but they end up riding alone.
As for the sled/skiers mmmmm...for years (25) as a rider I have yet to find back country skiers in the areas I ride, but in the last 5-10 years there seems to be more and more. I have no problem with them being there but I find it outrages that I'm being targeted by this group and there ability to convince joe public that areas should be closed to motor sports and be given to the back country skiers, especially when they take over are cabins that sledders have been maintaining for years.

silly as this sounds I think maybe we as sledders should be aloud to ride randomly around the ski hills! Point taken yet?
I think the only way this can work is if we all share the areas or perhaps one day our stupid governments will turn it all into a park...CLOSED FOR USE....

Just so you know, most backcountry skiers and CERTAINLY those that use sleds for access aren't the ones ever making a stink about closing zones off.......at least not in CA. It's the city folk who make it to the mountains once or twice a year and want their mountain experience free of the taint of two stroke motors. And most if it isn't what most people refer to as backcountry skiing. It's dwids on little xc skis and snowshoes who drive to sled parking lots and get all miffed that there are sleds there.

If that's not the case where you live, then that's fckd up. At some point a little 'here, hop on' goes a long way........like scott's story.

 

[freeflorider]

Just so you know, most backcountry skiers and CERTAINLY those that use sleds for access aren't the ones ever making a stink about closing zones off.......at least not in CA. It's the city folk who make it to the mountains once or twice a year and want their mountain experience free of the taint of two stroke motors. And most if it isn't what most people refer to as backcountry skiing. It's dwids on little xc skis and snowshoes who drive to sled parking lots and get all miffed that there are sleds there.

If that's not the case where you live, then that's fckd up. At some point a little 'here, hop on' goes a long way........like scott's story.

Hay I'm not against sled skiers, I'm just saying it take all types and some feel its all right to use sleds as an access tool only...so on and so forth. I do agree with you being some city folk that want a clean and noise free environment to do what ever they want with it. Like you say lets stop pointing fingers and lend a hand. Respect skiers as you pass them and hopefully they don't scowel at you as you pass too.
Point is we can all be as nasty as the next...I just would like to eliminate the dill weeds that think they own where they are.

 

[sidehil]

I was a long time climber and backcountry skier, then my buddy invited me over to the Icicle River place for some sled assist skiing. I got to use his wifes new yami enticer and never put on a set of skis ever again or bought a lift ticket. 4 sleds later still living the dream. I did rescue some skiers attempting to make it from Blewett pass to the forest service cabin in an absolute Blazing White out. They were very grateful for the free lift and we shared some brews.

 

[Nads]

Just going to remind people that Dan Treadway is a sled-skier, along with myself and many others.

The only time I don't like _snowmobilers_ is when they decide to highmark above me when I'm dropping in to ski lines because it is extremely dangerous.

Most sled-skiers come into snowmobiling bringing a wealth of prior backcountry experience and most have pretty high levels of avalanche training. How could this be damaging to the sport?

 

[bnorth]

My groups favourite local spot is also used by sled-skiers and ski-tourers. They have been sledding in there for 25 years, about as long as a local has run a lodge across the valley from where we ride and we get along great with him. It's all the day users that have a much lower stake in the area that create issues. They tell us we have no right to sled in the area, at least they don't swing their poles at us when we pass them on the road. We still stop and help them out if they have a stuck sled or a breakdown though. The comment about sledders being rich and arrogant is way off base around here it's the skiers that act well-to-do and have attitude, mostly out of towners though.

 

[boondocked]

the biggest reason "real snowmobilers" dont like "skiing snowmobilers" is that a lot of the people you see up riding w/ snowboards dont fully have a grasp on the social norm rules. we were out yesterday and a group full of dudes with snowboards on their sleds were out, no helmets, just beanies and goggles attacking this steep avalanche known hill breaking imo rule #1 which would be no more then one sledder going up at a time, 3 to 4 guys going up at once, one guy even got stuck and then his friend high marked right over him (theres a few videos on youtube of people doing this and burrying their friends. IMO the biggest issue would be the no helmets. granite not everyone who skis and snowboards is like this.

 

[nofuture]

^^^ It would probably not be a bad idea to take a minute and inform them of the dangers that they are obviously unaware of. Maybe they'll even listen.
I see plenty of "real snowmobilers" helping each other out while stuck on steep slopes as well. This includes the douche with a helmet cam that came up to help me after a rock bucked me off my sled on a steep hill.

 

[89sandman]

when i was in school and skied i always wanted to snowmobile. when i got older and had the cash thats what i did. me and my son used to snowboard and sled all the time until i got too old and beat up to do it anymore, board that is still have my old board hanging in the shop.

 

[Vern]

haven't seen a whole lot of sled skiers around here, but have ran into cross country skiers on a few occasions and so far every time has been plesent. if we've been stopped as they come by they've always stopped and bs'd for a bit, they usually joke about how much easier they'd have it if they learnt to ride a sled or we'll talk about how our fat a$$es wouldn't last ten minutes on there skinny skis stuff like that then go on about there business. we've also toated the random boarder to the top of some hills near the parking lot as we've been headed back to the truck at the end of the day. theres good and bad in every group, the skiers that piss me off are the ones that want sledders banned from everywhere but like mentioned above wanna go up and use the parking lots and groomed trails that we sledders pay for with our registrations. i know its hard to come by these days but the best thing for everyone is to be respectful, if i see skiers or snowshoers or anybody like that while out riding i try to keep some distance as i go by if im on the trail i'll slow down as i pass. so far everythings been peachy and none have ever swung a pole at me but if they do it'll probably be the last time they do.