Women's Input On Side Hilling

[jtblaster]

u r on snowest again huh"

LMAO! Did you replay and say H3LL YA!
I learn alot of stuff by wandering around on here.
I think i am addicted

 

[Taminator]

i had to text my old man and ask if the sled i ride had the stab/sway bar on or off - he replied "off - u r on snowest again huh"

lmao!!!

 

[600ps]

LMAO! Did you replay and say H3LL YA!
I learn alot of stuff by wandering around on here.
I think i am addicted

yeah me too - but this is a good addiction!!

 

[Taminator]

Here's few pics of my first attempt at wrong foot forward sidehilling...not great pics, but shows how you can 'walk' yourself along the hill and control with your hanging leg as well as your running board leg. Makes for alot more control

 

[jtblaster]

Good pictures. I am still working on mastering this skill on the flat terrain

 

[Taminator]

That's a great way to learn! When we do the long trails with a decent amount of new snow I'll 'mock' sidehilling for practice, especially my bad side! You can still get the countersteering and the weight balancing, even the wrong foot technique. Keep it up!!!



Good link http://www.akmining.com/snow/powder1.htm



.

 

[The Fourth Wolf]

Ladies,

As a recent masterer of basic sidehilling and a husband of 20+ years (I schprecken der wimminish) may I add a couple things?

If your area has any long, even slopes where you can line yourself up in the direction of the valley, try practicing there first. This allows you to ease into the hill and pull a long sidehill without having to climb too high on the slope. IF you do wipe out practicing you're not yardsaling your sled down the mountain. U-shaped glacial valleys are perfect for this (assuming the avy danger is low)

You can practice in both directions until you build some confidence then you can move onto turning out of short climbing runs into sidehills. From there you move to turning back uphill and reversing directions.

By the way, the physics behind why countersteering works is about balance and inertia. A sled is inherantly unstable in a turn because it only has 3 points of contact--the track and ski's. We all know instinctively to lean into turns so we don't flip over the high side.

In a sidehill we are using that instability to counteract gravity. By turning the skis out and leaning we are forceing the sled to tip into the hill. When we do it just right our lean equals the downhill pull of gravity and we crab across the hill in a straight line. Taminator's pics two posts up are a perfect example of this in action.

Practicing figure 8s in the meadows is great practice and doesn't hurt if you make a mistake.

Also, generally speaking, if you are right handed you will have an easier time mastering sidehilling on your left side first.

 

[LADYREV800]

Also, generally speaking, if you are right handed you will have an easier time mastering sidehilling on your left side first.

Interesting to know. I'm not very good at sidehilling on the right side

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

Ladies, I would add this(I know..girls only on this one, but I have been teaching my 15 yr old daughter and this has helped her)...alot of the riding you do involves self confidence...in other words when you are on flat ground and you throw your sled up and carve around something..its pretty simple right?...why? because you are used to it and know whats going to happen(if you do it right)....well its the same thing on the side of a hill..you have to convince yourself that it is just like your on flat ground....and COMMIT to doing it..if the commitment isnt there..you are going down hill...that simple...also..another biggy..DONT LOOK AT THE OBSTICLE(weather its a tree,rock ,or just the slope..) your sled goes where you look..its instinctive...so concentrate looking at where you want to go......(see....not too bad for a old guy huh?)

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

Interesting to know. I'm not very good at sidehilling on the right side

then that is the side you should use the most..then it will be your best side..for me it was the left..(and I am left handed...lol)

 

[mtnjunkie]

He's right, if you concentrate on where you want to go it will work better. If you're looking right in front of the sled or at the obstacle it's much harder and you normally end up in the tree. Same with boondocking and just carving around. One thing I had to figure out myself as I didn't have anyone really teaching me was to use my feet. I would throw the sled over with my upper body and muscle it, it would normally work but was tiring. I finally learned that if I just push one heel down it will lay right over with a lot less effort. So really think about how you're using your body, it's not about muscling the sled. You can do it that way, but it won't always work especially when you get tired.

I ride a Rev and cut off my sway bar. It made a big difference and I won't use it again. It's not great on trails, but better now that I fixed my ski alignment! The stock shocks are pretty soft and made to work with the sway bar. You can get away with them for a while, but they will wear out faster without the swaybar. Then the downhill ski won't help push the sled up and you will just start diving downhill all the time. They also just suck in my opinion. I went with Fox Floats and LOVE them! So think about getting better shocks, preferably adjustable ones as you can have any way you like at any time.

 

[diamondlakediva]

It was just my husband and I riding all weekend so I got to spend some time practicing different techniques and ideas to make riding better. Usually I am just trying to keep up with the rest of the gang and don't really have the quality time that I got this weekend.

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

 

[Wish]

There are lots of great tips on here....I think that it boils down to practice practice practice! For me once I get the feel of something I can figure it out. Side hills aren't something I do very well at, but I think it's simply lack of practice. I don't have the opportunity to try very often.......I also have that mental anxiety of "hills" and losing control on them!

 

[sledchick]

good post ladies...I struggle with the wrong foot forward...just awkward!!! Gotta get used to it I guess!

 

[600ps]

Throttle & Weight: I throttle up and weight the hill side of my sled first and foremost. I then engage in a slight counter steer once I have a bit of momentum built up - this lays the sled over a bit more into the hillside. This will actually become nearly one fluid movement once you get comfortable with throttle control and weighting your sled.

Stance & Poise: Most gradual sidehills I can do with a normal stance and weighting the hill side foot - it's when I cut hard that I may need to stand on one side or swing a leg out. However, on older model sleds that do not respond as well to rider input, you may need to put both feet on the hill side of the sled in the beginning. Remember to keep your back straight and butt in - I often see beginners hunched over and sticking there butt out thus keeping their weight lower.... instead, stand tall - your leverage is up high. Yes, taller people have an easier time leveraging their sled I'm sure but with the right techniques (weighting the sled properly, poising properly and good throttle control) - you can do it just as well! (I'm 5'4 and 120 lbs.)

When it comes to throttle control - not much is really needed, just enough to get that track spinning good enough to help dig you in a bit and stick you to the hillside.

You can practice weighting your sled and throttle control on flat ground - this is where I'd start - weight one side of your sled and gas it in a straight line, dont try to carve yet - just get a feel for riding the "edge". Your front end should feel lighter and the opposite ski should pick up slighty. At this point, you are riding your "edge" and this can be all you need for a gradual sidehill. Again, get comfortable with throttle control and weighting your sled - this is what it's all about! (I really like a better term for snowmobiling is "weight-mobiling".)

Than start to practice sidehilling on gradual open hillsides with no consequences below. And just keep doing it until you start to feel it. It comes with practice. Dont let trenches scare you - think of your track as a chainsaw - it will rip right through them if your committed to hold the throttle on but hesitate and they can toss you around. It is always best to try and pick your own line anyway.

I should have printed this out and brought it with me to refer back to! But all the advice was helpful - it hard not to want to stick your butt out there!! But I tried to take all the advice - especially - the play/practice everytime you can - I had my vest on & teather cord attached - sure is allot easier on the old mans 2008 m8 man that sled is friendly - but of you can do stuff on an older sled then when you upgrade it should be a little easier right? I also practiced slower with more control - that was a little harder than just goosin it & gettin a ski up - thanks everybody

 

[CoyoteGirl]

We made yesterday a day "all about the girls". Took 2 friends out and let them play/ practice. We didn't play, we were at their beckon call. When they got stuck we were there to help, most of the time! LOL Part of the practice was to learn how to get yourself untuck as well.

It was an interesting progression... very timid at first, then repetition makes it familiar and they'd push themselves a little harder the next time up/ across/ down/ etc. First poke at a turn out and the sled rolls. 2nd poke and it almost rolls. 3rd poke and she gets a ski up and controls the turn out. 4th poke she goes higher and holds the ski up longer.... It was really great to watch and see what practice practice practice does. It took one gal getting p*ssed and then she pulled off a beautiful and aggressive sidehill, then she got excited and we couldn't hardly get her to stop for lunch!

Another thing that seemed to help... when the sled was NOT in motion I had the rider countersteer the ski and pull the sled over. Once she saw how easily the sled did this just sitting still it seemed to take over that thought "I'm not strong enough to get the ski up". During this we also showed foot placement and posture.

The conditions were not the best, flat light, 6" of snow on top of ice.... but they made the best of it and wore themselves out. IMO the best thing for them would have been to go back out today, more repetition, back to back repetition! But something about Monday... work day... etc. lol

It took sacrifice on the husbands part too! I am sure they would have so much rather have been tearing it up... but they'll reap the rewards when their wives become their bestest riding buddy!

 

[diamondlakediva]

My butt just want to "go there" no matter how I try to keep it in! I'm going to keep up the practice though. I'm afraid that I'll try something that looks fun and I'll end up having to post on the sledding injuries thread!

I should have printed this out and brought it with me to refer back to! But all the advice was helpful - it hard not to want to stick your butt out there!! But I tried to take all the advice - especially - the play/practice everytime you can - I had my vest on & teather cord attached - sure is allot easier on the old mans 2008 m8 man that sled is friendly - but of you can do stuff on an older sled then when you upgrade it should be a little easier right? I also practiced slower with more control - that was a little harder than just goosin it & gettin a ski up - thanks everybody

 

[CATastrophe]

My Boyfriend and I started sledding last year... after about 4 months I sent him to ride with Burandt in Colorado as a 40th Birthday gift... My guy is 5'7" maybe 130lbs tops (yes, sickening lol) and he came back from a 2 day trip and could sidehill for the first time! now you'd never know he hasn't been sledding for years. Once "schooled" video came out, I was able to finally understand all the pointers he was attempting to give me which I wasn't to accepting of from him guess it was that competitive "guy" teaching his "woman" how to do it issue I have...

Highly recommend buying the video and watching it over and over.

 

[PowderGirl]

Glad you brought that up Iseesnow - same thing happens with children... it's much harder to take instruction from parents which is why I always reccommend to parents to put your child in ski school before you try to teach them yourselves! My little 3 yro did great at ski school a couple weekends ago (followed all directions) yet I took her up this weekend and it was whine city half the time and "lets lean on mommy" the other half! LOL I used to ski instruct little kids and never had problems with them!!!! I also think it's easier for loved ones to be a little more impatient with each other - put them in a teaching sitution and it may not be the best environment for both. Believe me - I've been there too! Actually, I know when I've gotten frustrated with myself in the past, I've had a really hard time taking instruction from my man! LOL This thread should help many ladies out!

Another thing that I'd like to bring back up again is the fact that a women's instinct to question, analize and evaluate risk is something that can work against us out there! It typically causes hesitation and hesitation is what gets you stuck or in other situations you dont want to be in. You have to be confident and commit yourself! There are obvious risks out there you should be analyzing like hills that could slid and kill you! But when your just boondocking through the powder, be more relaxed, focus on technique and concentrate on your line from point A to point B, not on the obstacles that you "might" hit or get stuck in along the way. And of course, the more you ride, the more confident you will get out there.

 

[600ps]

Another thing that I'd like to bring back up again is the fact that a women's instinct to question, analize and evaluate risk is something that can work against us out there! It typically causes hesitation and hesitation is what gets you stuck or in other situations you dont want to be in. You have to be confident and commit yourself! There are obvious risks out there you should be analyzing like hills that could slid and kill you! But when your just boondocking through the powder, be more relaxed, focus on technique and concentrate on your line from point A to point B, not on the obstacles that you "might" hit or get stuck in along the way. And of course, the more you ride, the more confident you will get out there.

that is so very well worded!!