Unsticking a sled

[F-Bomb]

Stacey and anyone else interested......

The world's easiest method for getting yourself unstuck is to LOCK YOUR PARKING BRAKE..and roll your sled over one time. Even the weakest person can dig a little under the low side ski and then lift up on the other side and slowly manage your sled as it rolls over. Sometimes you do have to stomp a bit of free roll space on the side of the running boards to free it up. If you don't keep it pinned and dig to China when you are getting stuck it helps a ton. Most of the time it will list to facing downhill and you are on your way (after dis-engaging the parking brake!)

Another tip is when you are on non-dangerous terrain and getting stuck bail off as you wack the throttle! The sled will be sitting there unstuck and waiting for your return. The trick here is not bailing when your sled can get away and bang into something. This is a meadow only manuever!


Mainly relax and use your thinker...you guys are always claiming to have bigger brains than us. Gravity and strategy over brawn and it ain't a race. Take your time and go slow so you don't get exhausted fighting a battle that you won't win with your sled. (now that I'm as strong as a 6 year old girl I've had to learn this program or be left to the wolves)

 

[Wish]

Rob, I'm gonna have to give that a try! I actually watched Burandt's schooled flick the other day and they did a segment on getting unstuck. They rolled it over, just like you said...and they made it look so easy! Honestly, I never thought to do that.......so I'm looking forward to giving it a try!

 

[rotax]

Another tip is when you are on non-dangerous terrain and getting stuck bail off as you wack the throttle! The sled will be sitting there unstuck and waiting for your return. The trick here is not bailing when your sled can get away and bang into something. This is a meadow only manuever!

That works great..used it often on the Rev..or maybe I was just falling off all the time.. And mb safer using a tether.
I'm a tad bit afraid to use the same manuver on a spooled turbo, usually spooling and trenching to china works out best on the turbo, but that fails from time to time too. haha

But bunjees (yeah, i don't know how thats spelled either) and riding buddies help the most when stuck type and/or terrain permit access..

Packing a track out front and packing the snow UNDER the sled to the track..the track is what needs to crawl up onto the snow, not neccasarily the front of the sled.

 

[F-Bomb]

A lot of times you are wedged up against a tree or in a bad way so that you can't roll it over. Then it's the tradional dig and tug that requires an army of helpers and irritates everyone. Nothing replaces the snobunji for these times and two can shoot a sled out of amazingly horrible spots. My gripe is that they are so big and obtrusive to pack around. We all just use a simple ten foot nylon strap with hand hoops on each end. You get tremendous leverage by being way out in front of the sled pulling forward as opposed to directly tugging on the ski loop. Have the rider standing next (never right on it) to the sled and hammer it (hopping on only if it gets going..blurp and pop to unstuck and retry the sequence if it's too deep) while you heave on the strap..release one end and the whole thing slides through the ski hoop while they rip past (in theory). This gadget fits in everyone's pocket for easy access. Can also be used to leverage your handlebars or right a sled if you are by yourself.

We don't use mountain bars on our sleds so this can come in handy to loosen or break a stuck sled loose prior to tugging. Sometimes they are just too stuck to drag out if you don't free them up with the wiggle.

Now here is another method that I've experienced and it is amazing but can be really hard on your equipment. Attach a long nylon tether to a downhill facing sled and the stuck sleds ski hoop or spindle...downhill facing person drives right past the stuck sled and it rips it around and free while the stuck person hammers the throttle and performs a driving manuever to assist. This is magical but an advanced manuever for the stuck rider and if you were that advanced you wouldn't stuck facing directly uphill anyway!...but never the less it happens and this works but sometimes it rips off your rear bumper or an a arm.

 

[CoyoteGirl]

Saw the Micu boy do a maneauver to get unstuck in Gibbs Gash last year in Revy that was one of the most impressive unstuckin's I've ever seen in my life. Sure wish I had it on video!

Me? I'm a roller, if any way possible that is my preference. Otherwise, shovel. lol

 

[PowderGirl]

There's nothing wrong with stepping aside and checking out your nails while the boys dig and pull it out!!!

Recognize when your about to get stuck! I like that blip the throttle and fall off move! (Sled climbs up on the snow and you just hop back on a ride off!) Or just sit there and wait for one or two strong men to show up and give one ski tug and I'm out with no effort on my part! he he But stomping out under the rails and belley pan, then standing on the sled and rocking it back and forth, then hop off and push while gently throttling out often works before pulling out the shovel on the flat ground. (Heavier snow seems to require a shovel more often than not though.) If on a hill, rolling it works great - I try to bring a few extra little windsheild buttons though for when they pop off.

 

[girlpowder]

There's nothing wrong with stepping aside and checking out your nails while the boys dig and pull it out!!!

Recognize when your about to get stuck! I like that blip the throttle and fall off move! (Sled climbs up on the snow and you just hop back on a ride off!) Or just sit there and wait for one or two strong men to show up and give one ski tug and I'm out with no effort on my part! he he

I like the way you think! That's usually my first approach.Honey.... Help!!!!

 

[Wish]

You two are too funny! I gotta agree with ya, there are great perks to having big stong riding partners! I get help quite often...even if I don't need it, but it's good to have technique up your sleeve just in case

 

[dragonblue]

I like the way you think! That's usually my first approach.Honey.... Help!!!!

If tired I'll do this too...but am so dang stubborn that I usually want to be able to do everything myself !

 

[plumnuts]

A SnoBuddie works well. My husband bought one when he had back surgery.
It simply jacks the sled up and out of the hole and you push it over. It attaches to the rear or front bumper. Just about anyone can get unstuck by themselves. Something you need to keep in mind when hill climbing and worry about more than one sled on the hill.

 

[2PolarisRiders]

Snowmobile Jacks the way to get UN stuck

ck these out - less than 5 minutes you'll be unstuck AND won't even break a sweat!

http://www.highliftjack.com/

http://www.powderjack.com/

 

[Puddy Tat]

SnoBuddie works well.

 

[Wyoming Wild Woman]

I am stuck alone alot and I can dig one out of a bad stuck qiven enough time. Those deep powder days will take it's toll on you with very many stucks. That's what will wear on me then you have stupid stucks because you're fatigued so I now have a jack. I hardly notice it riding but it's my best budy when it comes to getting out of a bad stuck and it doesn't wear you out.

 

[Idaho Slim]

Don't know why you need stuck advice Stace.

You ride a XP, we don't get stuck ...................

 

[777]

I have been stuck in some bad spots where my buddies couldn't get to me... so I try and:
-get stuck on an angle if possible... not straight up. The sled will already be in a better position to pull it around.
-After that shovel underneath the bellypan and shovel the downside of the sled, free it up as best you can
-then wiggle and pull the skis around as much as you can...
-then repeat shovelling, repeat pulling... inch by inch it will come out...
-pull it around until you feel you could start it and ride it out. You might need to fill in your trench if the track isn't quite touching...

I hope that helps!

I believe this only works when stripped down to your underware.

 

[SilverGriz]

If the snow is real deep and powder, roll it over. If the terrain allows it.

This is usually my technique. Works pretty good most of the time.

 

[CoyoteGirl]

I saw this last year!

Sled was stuck, down down down. Only 2 of us could fit in the trench to lift, we obviously needed more. We hooked the bunjie to the bumper and big strong dude (BIGBULL) stood on top of trench and lifted with bunjie from there as the 2 of us lifted the bumper from inside of the trench. That worked WELL!

Whatever you do ladies, remember to bend and use your legs. Not your back.

And it seems like it goes better, maybe faster?, if I only try to move it little bits by little instead of giving it all I have on that first jerk and trying to move it feet.