Tool to help when stuck alone

[Paulie the Shark]

Life is to short to live in fear of what could go wrong . You and your friend that you ride with could die on your way to ride your sleds in a traffic accident. Does that stop you from riding?I dont want to ride in a avy danger but other then that I have spent time above the arctice circle for weeks at a time with the 10th mountain division training in fairbanks AK during the winter sleeping in tents and snow caves so I think I could make it for a few nights in a snow cave in the west when it is not 50 below like ALaska . So if I am a idiot for riding alone that is a small price to pay for the thrill of being out there and not being at home watching the weather reports wishing I was riding .Life is not a spectators sport

whoaa!

 

[Steamboat-RN]

Statiisticly speaking I would like one of you so called experts to show how riding alone would raise your chances of needing a rescue? As i said before of the 14 average avy deaths in the west a year of snowmobilers were any riding alone? Every rescue around here of lost or hurt snowmobilers is not a solo rider.So inless you live in a world of what if this or that COULD happen statisticly you are not going to need rescue any more then riding with others. Some poeple are to stupid to know there limitations riding alone or with a group. I think poeple take more chances when with others . I dont ride alone alot but when I have to I am much more careful.

Amazingly flawed logic. Just because you don't recall any solo accidents does not mean they do not occur. I have been involved in the rescue of several solo riders in the past couple of years. Including one where the young man would almost certainly have died if we or someone else had not lucked upon him. He was totally unable to get back to the trailhead due to his injuries. And to top it off he was completely unaware as to where he was.

Simple basic logic.

Teamwork increase your chances of making it back to safety in the event of accident, mechanical failure or getting stuck or lost.
Hundreds of riders make it back to safety with the help of others in their group every year. Many of them would likely have been a search and rescue statistic otherwise.
Statistically you don't increase your chances of getting into an accident if you don't wear your seatbelt in a car. But you do dramatically increase your chances of injury if you are involved in an accident.
But then I guess you don't wear your seatbelt. Or wear a helmet when you ride either.

 

[RX1Guy]

im impressed. wasnt till the 13th reply until someone really got on him for riding alone.

He asked what tool to use when stuck riding alone. Not opinions on riding alone. This topic would be 3 or 4 pages shorter if the topic stayed on track.

 

[mountainhorse]

Ditto that RX-1 Guy....

Less goverment is good in my book too.

 

[longtrack156]

Amazingly flawed logic. Just because you don't recall any solo accidents does not mean they do not occur. I have been involved in the rescue of several solo riders in the past couple of years. Including one where the young man would almost certainly have died if we or someone else had not lucked upon him. He was totally unable to get back to the trailhead due to his injuries. And to top it off he was completely unaware as to where he was.

Simple basic logic.

Teamwork increase your chances of making it back to safety in the event of accident, mechanical failure or getting stuck or lost.
Hundreds of riders make it back to safety with the help of others in their group every year. Many of them would likely have been a search and rescue statistic otherwise.
Statistically you don't increase your chances of getting into an accident if you don't wear your seatbelt in a car. But you do dramatically increase your chances of injury if you are involved in an accident.
But then I guess you don't wear your seatbelt. Or wear a helmet when you ride either.

For some of us if we don't go alone we don't go. I'm 68 years old and the young guys are too young and the old guys don't ride. I have been sledding for 40+ years and always have sledded alone as required. I also am prepared to spend the night if required.

It's amazing how much less you get stuck, if you plan on never getting stuck.

It's amazing how dependable the sleds are if you drive them as though they could break and make you spend the night out.

You lost me on the seatbelt analogy, so, if there is more traffic, you have less chance of having an accident if you wear your seatbelt?

 

[sldgy]

I always go into the mountains expecting to get stuck and expecting to have to get myself unstuck alone. I often ride in a group that gets strung out and seperated and with my wife whom can be good help, sometimes not. I carry 50' of 6mm rope and another 25' of 5mm accessory cord along with various prussiks, webbing and 5 carabiners to set up a Z-drag w/brake prussik and a snobunje. Works great to load weight on sled then hit throttle to get it moving a couple inches then repeat til out of hole. Can also roll sled up off of a tree or out of tree well. I will have to remember to add the fishing line trick though, that could come in handy. Be safe out there!

And I thought a carabiner was a species of caribou that lived in Mexico.

 

[Steamboat-RN]

I never PLAN on getting stuck or having a break down or dropping into an unfrozen hidden creek. But those things do happen from time to time to even them most prepared and careful riders.
A seatbelt is just a safety feature. Like riding in groups. It just affords increased safety if an ACCIDENT happens. It does not lessen your chances of an accident, it just improves the odds of a better outcome.
So does having the jack that this thread was started about.
I'm sorry that your situation "requires" you to sled alone. On the occasions that my normal riding partners are busy, I just wait at the trailhead until I find a group to tag along with. I have met some very nice friends that way. In the 35 plus years that I have been riding I have rarely been required to ride alone.
BTW the group that I normally ride with includes a gentleman( I'm being kind) in his 60s, several of us in our 50s and a number of younger guys. The youngest is 14. We tailor the ride to the group. I try to not let my ego write checks that my body can't cash.

 

[blksumit]

And I thought a carabiner was a species of caribou that lived in Mexico.

ROTFLMAO, That was funny!!!!

Dave

 

[skibreeze]

Off topic- I was just carving a turn in a meadow when I broke my leg, Thankfully I had 2 buds with me to help me get back to the truck.

On topic- If you ride alone, I highly recommend the hijacker and parachute cord.

 

[colorado logger]

off topic its snowing like crazy here in south fork and in lucky my body is not broke

on topic call bill and buy a jack. 1-866-533-6275 if you use it and dont like he will buy it back no questions asked.

 

[Mattt]

Steamboat RN if your logic is not flawed we should not snowmobile at all because it is safer watching tv. I feel as if I posted hilary clinton for pres on a republican web site

 

[Steamboat-RN]

Give me a break. No one has said that you should not take risks. But many people here think that riding alone in the mountains in winter is foolhardy.
BTW A sedentary lifestyle is very unhealthy.

 

[Anti-Hero]

if you can ride and are prepared to ride alone. I have done it many times, it is quite fun, much better than sitting at the house watching foosball while you wait for your buddy to fix his sled.

 

[Weekday Warrior]

well add me to the idiot list cause I ride solo too

but this is about to change because now I'll be riding with SPOT soon as it shows up.

I call my solo rides 'tuning runs' because this is where I'll take the time to adjust clutching etc....so when I ride with friends you won't find my hood open and tools scattered all over the seat.

I don't ride the steep & deep solo either, but ride the stuff close to home where 5 foot of snow is about the deepest you'd find.

Maybe some of you guys should try riding solo, it's a different experience. Makes you think differently, makes you respect the outdoors more. imo

 

[CCRider]

Lots of good tips here! I am a new rider and have learned alot this past year,from friends, and from all of you here on Snowest. I ride alone at times also,but I stick to the groomed trails and take it easy.The only time I have gotten stuck was a couple of weeks ago with my buddy who said"its OK,just stay in my tracks" famous last words.Next thing you know we are both stuck,its getting dark,and all my goodies are back home in my sled.He lent me his extra (700)to ride cause mine is to slow for him.(550vs900) The shovel came in handy that day.His SnoBunje saved the day last year when we helped a guy out of the ditch(spent too much time in the bar before riding)
Most of my days off are during the week.I like having the trails to myself.But I do enjoy meeting folks on the weekends and talking sleds.I have a Harley,and a ATV and I ride those alone toh...and I hunt and fish and go prospecting alone too.

 

[Snowmark]

jack

I never ride without the jack....it's no problem to mount and carry....you can get yourself out of some serious stucks quickly and easily, ALWAYS assume that you are riding alone even when you are not, what if you get stuck and separated from the group and they can't find you....or get to you...or maybe they're all stuck somewhere too.....I also carry a small winch with 150 ft strap....and yes I have logged some serious miles solo.

 

[igoforsnow]

Ok how do you mount the darn thing

I have the jack but haven't figured out how to mount it on my sled. I have a 700 dragon 155. I've tried to mount it as per the instructions but the rear bracket for the running board gets in the way and also the lower lip of the tunnel is flared out so it is also in the way. All of which makes the bar stick out from the side of the tunnel about an inch, which is totally unacceptable.

 

[Weekday Warrior]

I was thinking about getting this and a 100' mule tape
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200137874_200137874

If I can't find mule tape I bet some semi stretchy rope would work great, load it up and rubber band it out with some throttle..


anchors aren't a problem around here, trees all over

I bet it would work like the highlift jack if you cut yourself a pole and roped it on

shipping weight is 6.0 lb, so I bet it's under 5lb I'll store it under the hood

 

[garciava]

best money I've spent on snowmobiling and I have spent a bunch

was stuck so bad a few weeks back it took seven jackings to get out but me and a buddy would not of done it with out the jack

 

[ItDoAble]

I have the jack but haven't figured out how to mount it on my sled. I have a 700 dragon 155. I've tried to mount it as per the instructions but the rear bracket for the running board gets in the way and also the lower lip of the tunnel is flared out so it is also in the way. All of which makes the bar stick out from the side of the tunnel about an inch, which is totally unacceptable.

Call Bill directly, he's a good guy and will help you figure it out.

Bill Harmon
970-641-4250