Who leads , and who doesn't get too, and WHY?

[FurryCURT]

Yesterday I rode with a guy from out of state. ( Joe Mitchell from Spokane area.) It was just us two so I had to lead and show him our usual play areas. There was no new fresh so it forced me to go places and try things that we usually don't do with the regular riding partners. This guy had wicked sick skills and I am beat from trying to keep up. It was fun to watch him but stessful trying to find something that gave him a challenge or made it fun for him.
I was just wondering in your groups how you determine who leads and why...

 

[theultrarider]

I end up leading probably 90% or more of the time I ride. 1st off most people want no part of it. They don't know the area well enough. Or you know all the best play stops. Or, or, or... You get the picture. The leader gets the best powder most of the time boodocking yes. But the leader also has to keep his lines tame enough that the least expierienced rider in the group can follow him and not get in trouble. Others in the middle will see a nice hit and take it. Or drop in and out of something quickly on the move that I would love to hit, but know that "joe" would follow me and be stuck or hurt. It is a big responsiblilty that most are not willing to take. It is a tough job to keep everyone together, moving freely, and having fun, and safe all the same time. I know what our fuel limitations are and have that in mind. So many others will get busy playing and forget to look down at their gas tanks or realize that they have been playing for 4 hours and we had better be heading back out of the mountians toward fuel. I love the couple of trips each year that I get to be the "kid" in the middle and just screw off. It is fun. Then again, I have led for so long that I don't mind that either.

 

[Ollie]

Depends.
On where we are going and what we are doing.
In the case where I know the area better, I lead. When Anti-hero knows it better, he leads.
Gets boring leading all the time unless it's deep fresh powder. then we fight over who gets to lead.

 

[icr]

Like ultrarider said...it's usually not much fun leading since everyone else gets to improv their own line in your general direction while you play it safe. I often get volunteered to lead since I have a long track but after dropping into a few nasty spots someone else will usually take over

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

at college when we go into places that our new to us, I lead as I have the biggest sled and the most experience in our group, this way, i can say, woah, yall arent gonna make it, lets not get in over our heads. and im also the one who usually looks at every map and picture on google earth i can find, so i have a pretty good idea of where we are gonna end up.

on the way out i follow, to make sure nobody gets left behind.

in my group of riding buddies at home I sorta ended up as the leader for some reason, i dont know why as we ride the same places over and over.... maybe cuz my sled used to blow up the most!!

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

As Tim(theultrarider) said..normally I lead..especially when we are in eureka riding,I normally put one of my best guys in drag to make sure if someone gets in trouble there is a good rider right there to help...I pick all terain to be doable for the worse rider(although it may test him to get through it)ant seriosly difficult spots I will rally the group till all are through it..most of all I try to make it challenging and fun for all....

 

[polarisIQmn]

when I'm at home in southern MN, I usually lead because I know the areas. And I feel that I'm pretty good at reading terrain, and I'm always concious of the other riders abilities. I don't have the fastest sled in the group by any means, but I can pick lines and make adjustments, which makes me faster through the ditches. When our group of 9 went out to Laramie this winter, I didn't lead for obvious reasons, I had a 600 121". I was not about to bust trail through the trees tryin to lead so everybody else could help get me out every 100 yards. I knew the Laramie area pretty well so I always rode about 3rd-4th place. I lead a few times, but those times were mainly on the trails or to get to a few places that I knew of that didn't require breaking fresh trail. Normally I like leading in areas that I know just because then I'm able to point out potentially dangerous situations (poles, culverts, stumps, etc) but leading also comes with a price. A couple years ago I fell off on a zero visibility day and was got ran over by one of the guys behind me. I didn't get hurt badly, just bruises, broken helmet visor, and soreness.

Chad

 

[Snow Fox]

when I'm at home in southern MN, I usually lead because I know the areas. And I feel that I'm pretty good at reading terrain, and I'm always concious of the other riders abilities. I don't have the fastest sled in the group by any means, but I can pick lines and make adjustments, which makes me faster through the ditches. When our group of 9 went out to Laramie this winter, I didn't lead for obvious reasons, I had a 600 121". I was not about to bust trail through the trees tryin to lead so everybody else could help get me out every 100 yards. I knew the Laramie area pretty well so I always rode about 3rd-4th place. I lead a few times, but those times were mainly on the trails or to get to a few places that I knew of that didn't require breaking fresh trail. Normally I like leading in areas that I know just because then I'm able to point out potentially dangerous situations (poles, culverts, stumps, etc) but leading also comes with a price. A couple years ago I fell off on a zero visibility day and was got ran over by one of the guys behind me. I didn't get hurt badly, just bruises, broken helmet visor, and soreness.

Chad

Just how hard is it to read FLAT Terrain?

In all seriousness, it typically depends on who knows the area the best.

 

[finerotax]

I spent the last 39 years following my dad around cause thats just the way we rode,still can't get comfortable leading the way.I guess when you have been following the same guy around since 4 years old you develop some tendancies,but we sure have had some fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sdobbs20]

normally change who leads. whoever leads ends up carrying the map. normally my dad and i are the only ones that ride when we go, and it's half and half. even yesterday he was leading and took the wrong turn, and i caught up to him and told him he was going the wrong way. nice to know that both of us can figure things out get back to the truck.

he will smoke me on the trail but i'll leave him following my track in the pow haha. i just ride harder than he does! he don't like the aches and pains in the morning.

 

[89sandman]

we fight for it!!!

 

[M-niner]

162 Powerclaw with no snow flap. I'm in da rear.

 

[Anti-Hero]

Depends.
On where we are going and what we are doing.
In the case where I know the area better, I lead. When Anti-hero knows it better, he leads.
Gets boring leading all the time unless it's deep fresh powder. then we fight over who gets to lead.

or whoever has the best line through or over the trees

 

[longtrack156]

I almost always lead, I think it's because I'm old and they don't want to keep going back looking for me!

 

[GMCRMK]

I almost always lead, I think it's because I'm old and they don't want to keep going back looking for me!

That's the worst part about leading. "where did everybody go?"

I hate it when I lead and everyone else screws around so I need to go back to round 'em back up.

 

[oldnslow]

In Groups over 5:
Relatively easy stuff my wife leads and I ride drag.
Tough stuff I lead and my wife rides drag.

Several reasons:
I carry a GPS with the area mapped on it.
My wife and I carry radios and it is nice to have a radio in front and a radio in back.

In challenging untracked terrain I point somebody else first and pick a regroup point.

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

haha. yeah i forgot, my buddy always plays drag when we ride at home, even though his sled is probably one of the least reliable, the Attack 20 in HC mode and screws stays FAR AWAY unless you want to eat ice all the way home.

 

[SnowBaller]

Usually one of two uncles lead. They have the most seat time compared to others. As for the kid in the middle, that spot is usually me (only 21). My dad is usaully right behind me picking the peices from my mishaps. As memtioned before, an expeirenced rider in the back is very important.

 

[AdrenalineAddict]

I like to lead, not that I ride any better than anyone else, but for the simple reason I like to ride. It seems that the older I get, the more groups I come across that simply want to sit, socialize and BS. Alot of the time I find myself leading myself.

 

[snowhawkaddict]

I tend to drag,

my knees!

But when with groups I am all over the place giving everybody a chance to lead.

When I was a Twoski I was definitely a follower and a sitter in the early days!