I recently received this question from a reader, Rachel. Rachel is new to riding and is looking for some advice regarding riding gear.  Here’s her question and my answer, but maybe you have something more or better to suggest?  Please leave your advice for Rachel below in the comments (and if you have any, send them my way–see the contact page to find out where!)

The Question

I have a few questions about snowmobile gear that I was hoping you could help with. My boyfriend loves to ride and introduced me to his love last winter. I bundled up in everything I had and some of his stuff too in attempts to stay warm all day, without sweating. I am having the hardest time finding gear specifically designed for a woman, especially a small woman. I am only 5′3″ and about 110lbs. Can you recommend brands or specific products that will keep me warm without adding too much bulk, and maybe even look attractive in? I specifically need boots that will be warm enough, and tall enough to keep the snow out when I get stuck…I am still learning how to manuver through the wash out.

The Answer

The industry has gotten a lot better with attractive & fitting women’s clothing. Any of the sled manufacturers/dealers will have name-brand stuff that should be well suited and warm. Not sure what you’re riding or if you have any particular preference but if you go to a Polaris dealer, etc they should be happy to help. I’d check eBay too because I know one of my girlfriends gets some nice name-brand stuff for reasonable prices.

This is a good time of year to check the dealers, too, because they’ll often clear out last year’s styles.

If you don’t care about the names, and the price tags they carry, check out parts and supply catalogs. Dennis Kirk is a good one and they were featuring some nice women’s styles on the cover this year, getting a little more in tune with that market. Another one we often shop with decent pricing is Shade Tree Powersports (should be able to Google either of those).

I have to say I’m not huge into name tags and don’t usually pay the extra cost. I ride with a good pair of Sorel (Sorrel?) boots, bib ski pants (although some will argue to go with the ones made for riding because they have dual layers where you might get wet), and a Columbia 3-season jacket and gloves. The 3 season jacket is nice because I have the opttion of layers when it’s warmer riding. I’ll tell you that coat has kept me SO WARM. I’ve almost never been cold, and never seriously so, when we were riding–even when my hub and male counterparts were. And that says something because I’m ALWAYS cold, indoors and out.

Yes I’ve been gone for a bit.  It’s summer and it’s crazy.

I had mentioned before, though, that I had Maine and Vermont snowmobile age restriction laws, too.  Here’s a snippet of the Maine law, the part we’re concerned with today.  Have a look and see if you can tell me the fundamental difference between this one and Massachusetts’.

Maine Snowmobile & ATV Age Requirements

• Anyone who allows a person under 18 years of age to operate a snowmobile is liable (jointly with the minor’s parent or guardian) for any damages caused in the operation of that snowmobile). See Section 13108
• Children must be 10 years of age or older to operate a snowmobile, unaccompanied by an adult, on land other than that owned by their parent or guardian and must be 14 years of age before crossing public ways.
• Imprudent operation is not limited to state maintained trails; it is now prohibited on any trail.

Similar, yes, but not the same.  Can you spot the difference?

I was recently inspired by a post I saw on Bill Anderson’s Muskoka Outdoors blog in which he attempted to give guys a helping hand getting their wives and girlfriends (preferably not at the same time) into their fishing boats. His list goes a little something like this:

1. “That’s not a fishing platform in the front, honey, it’s a tanning deck with optimal tanning angles.”
2. “I think Brad Pitt has a cottage on this lake.”
3. “There will be plenty of time to…[read the rest of the list here]“

How To Get A Woman To Ride A Snowmobile

I thought perhaps you guys out there could use a list of your own to get those girls riding with, or better, alongside you.  And I expanded Bill’s list to give you twice as many (cause I know you need twice as much help).

10. I could We could ride twice as often if you snowmobiled, too.

9. Unless we get communicators, no one can talk to you while we’re riding.

8. I promise you won’t get cold.

7. I’ll warm you up when you get cold (cause guys need incentives, too).

6. I’ll buy you a new sledding outfit before we go.

5. I promise I won’t go too fast.

4. I promise we can go fast.

3. There’s no room for the kids to come.

2. You can drive.

1. I’ll get you your own sled!

Got a better idea?  Do share it!  Comments are open so tell me…how do you get a woman to ride a snowmobile?

Not to be totally cheap here, but I’m not really going to write a new post today.  I’d rather keep the last post alive a bit longer, because I think it’s really an important conversation.

This is the conversation about whether kids should ride snowmobiles; as in, how fair is it for the law to regulate whether or not kids can legally ride snowmobiles–not just on the trails, anywhere.  You may not know it, but in some states kids cannot legally ride snowmobiles, even child-sized ones, and not even on their parents’ own land.  Is that fair?

You can read what I think about kids riding snowmobiles, and also see what readers like Tom Remington have to say.  Here’s a taste of our conversation in the comments:

Should It Be Illegal For Kids to Ride Snowmobiles?

Tom did a pretty good job of summing up my opinion:

Bingo! I’m one of those stupid conservatives Mary who trust people and believe that people, if left alone, will solve their problems and the last thing any family needs is government telling them when to wash their kid’s face.
It’s up to the parent but the obsessed control freaks who can’t seem to stand individual freedom have a compelling need to make sure you do what they say…..or else.

To which I replied,

… It is more and more coming to my attention how I am allowing these people to rule my family’s life. I’m not just talking about laws like this, but even the fear that these laws and society subconsciously instill in you and prevent you from letting your kids have real, meaningful experiences.

For example, I’m forever not letting my kids do things they should be doing–letting boys be boys–for no better reason than what the ER doc will think. Seriously. It took me up until about 3 months ago to realize that there was no reason my 9 yr old boy shouldn’t have a jack knife. I had not given him one before because I thought, “what if he cuts himself? What kind of a mother will they think I am when I have to take him in for stitches!?” I finally realized that a cut on the finger–even one requiring stitches–was no big freaking deal in the grand scheme of things, and it was a chance we just had to let happen.

Last year my hub agreed that the boys could have a small hatchet and handsaw for fort-building and the like. I reluctantly agreed, but told him when they get cut I’m calling him from work to take them to the ER because I wasn’t going to be the one facing the doctors and telling them it was a parent-sanctioned event. Then I thought how stupid that was. We give them rules (cut nothing bigger around than your fist), we teach them how to use the things safely, why shouldn’t they have them? And you know what? A year later, no one has gotten cut! (My son did cut his finger while carving with the knife, but noting deep, and no band-aid even required).

Amazingly, life is going on. Even though my kids ride snowmobiles, carve with knives, and cut down trees and build forts.

Now, if the government would spend more time keeping sex offenders from repeating their crimes, I might start to agree with their idea of child protection laws.

What’s your opinion?  Comment here or on the original post, but please do tell me if you think I’m completely out of line, or if you agree that we should be given more credit [and rights] as parents.

Every state [with snow] has its own set of regulations governing who can and cannot ride snowmobiles. Some states are quite liberal–mostly those states that embrace the support as a family recreation and rely on its health and well-being as an income source– and others are quite restrictive (we won’t mention names, Massachusetts, but I’m sure there are others). For the record, do note that I have told you time and again that we ride in Maine even though we are Mass residents, so I won’t tell you that my young children ride in Massachsetts.

Why won’t I tell you that? Because that would be illegal. Thank you, great state, for taking away one of my rights as a parent–the right to let my children ride recreational vehicles as I see fit. Understand, too, that this doesn’t just apply to snowmobiles. This applies to all types of recreational vehicles, including ATV’s, and all sizes, including snowmobiles and ATV’s designed specifically for children–even those that govern down to 5 or 8 miles per hour. It doesn’t, however, apply to the battery-operated “toy” types that are less well built and go just as fast.

What I Think About Kids Riding Snowmobiles And ATV’s

I won’t bore you by rattling off all the laws of all the states; I’ll leave you to your own devices to find out what laws might apply to you (you might be surprised). Or maybe I’ll do that another day. For today I just want to talk about this in general. But I can tell you that the Massachusetts law is so restrictive that no child under 12 can ride legally in the state–even on your own property! Not even in sanctioned and approved racing events, either. Even at age 12 the law is restricting, and the ages for real riding increase to more like 14 to 16.

In case you haven’t guessed what I think about this yet, I think it is crap. I think that for a few reasons. The first of which is my parental rights being decided by another. Aside from beating my children and other reasonable leglities, I don’t like that. I don’t like it when other peple tell me how my kids should be raised. Especially people that know little to nothing about my lifestyle.

However, I’ve got better reasons, too. I believe that when you start kids young and teach them well they learn well. They learn how to enjoy a sport like snowmobiling and they learn from a responsible adult how to do it safely. At age five my child will listen to me. At age 16 that same child, placed with a high-horsepower sled under his thumb for the first time, will nod impatiently and gun the throttle. Lessons be damned.

Kids learn better at an early age. They have more respect for teachers and parents at an early age. And they have more fear of getting hurt. This is somehting you can capitalize on when kids start riding and respecting the ride from a young age. But it’s a window of opportunity that is missed by the time they are teenagers.

In my own humble opinion I think the states do a great disservice to children when they limit their snowmobiling opportunities when they are young. They mistakenly take away an important window of opportunity that could be used for far more good.

What do you think? Agree or disagree, but tell me why. Comments are open below.

Is it right to make this illegal?

It can be pretty tough staying motivated to write about snowmobiling during the summer months.  I’ve got a few things planned but maybe you can help to keep things riding along!

Send me anything of interest that I can use on the blog.  Pictures, links, sites to review, snowmobile resources, ideas, fun stuff, funny stuff….you get the drift.

I’m on the lookout for guest bloggers, too, so if you have something to say, let me hear about it!  Teach us something, brag about your sled, or b*tch about something (preferably sled-related).

Anyone who sends pictures or links or is interested in guest posting is welcome to include/send links to their website or business and, barring pornography, they’ll be posted with live links, too.  This can be great exposure for a snowmobile-related site, hobby, or business, or just a good way to try out blogging about sledding with no obligations.

So how ’bout it!?  Come out and play!  Get your piece in on the SledChix blog!

Send what you’ve got to sledderchick@gmail.com.

I very well might file this one under “why I want to live in Maine,” too.

Would you fight back if someone stole your property?

There is a story in this morning’s Bangor Daily News about a machine shop owner who fought back after thieves got away with $3,000 worth of scrap metal (for those of you who don’t know, there is good money to be made by cashing in scrap metal today, which has resulted in thefts of all sorts, including thefts of plumbing and construction materials in structures still under construction–at the expense of builders and property owners).  This happened Saturday night, and hedging that the thieves would return, the owner, Joseph Lord, decided to take matters into his own hands.

No, he did not shoot the criminals who were stealing from him (didn’t even try), but he did insure that they didn’t get away with more of his personal property.  Instead, he loaded his gun, kept and eye on his place, and when the robbers returend (in a new 2008 F250), he shot out the tires, windshield, and radiator on the truck.  The thieves got away on foot but were apprehended later.

That’s the story in a nutshell.  Of course, the local sheriff in Vienna, Maine, where the incident occurred, is warning property owners not to take matters into their own hands.  That’s all they’re saying, though.  In Massachusetts there would probably be a charge against the property owner for firearms violations or destruction of property or something.

Bangor Daily also posted a poll with the article asking what readers thought–was the man justified in what he did?  Hell, yeah!  This morning the poll’s results looked something like this:

• 96.38% believed the shop owner was justified (266 people)
• 3.62% said he was not (10 people)

I’d be interested to know what those 10 people would think about someone stealing their personal property and cashing in on it.

What do you think?  Was he justified or no?  Comment below…

Remember this post about Why I’m Moving To Maine?  About the mother stricken by cancer and the community rallying to bring her home safely to a new house after structural damage and mold made the mobile home they’d been living in unsafe for her and her family? 

Well, the home is complete now.  Yes, that’s right complete.  As in, moved into. 

It took 400 volunteers, 24 local companies, and “dozens” of donations from private individuals, but the community of Old Town, Maine managed to build a new house for the Barclays and have it ready for them to move into just 9 days after the first wall went up.  The foundation wasn’t even poured until May 14th or so, and the family is already home! Not only that, but a private donor even stepped up to pay the college tuition for the Dad who is trying to complete a degree to get a better job and provide for his family a little better (whilst taking care of his wife who is ill…) Now that’s some impressive community action! 

You can read the updated story and see some pictures of the new home at the Bangor Daily news.  Take a tissue, though, it’s a heart-wrenching story of the only wish of a woman with a terminal illness wishing for somehitng better for her family and four kids.  But Kudos to all those people and the Old Town community!

I just found this quiz on the Snowmobile Fanatics Forum.  It’s designed (not very scientifically) to tell you which is more important to you–your sled or your spouse.  Timely, since today we marry off another of my young and dreamy-eyed nieces.  So in the spirit of the day…

The instructions are to take the quiz by answering which applies for each question–your sled or your spouse.  You can credit both if both apply.  You don’t have to be married to play, though, girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other works, too.  Okay.  Let’s have some fun…

Warning! This is not a “family” activity! Before you read the list, parents, I have to warn there is some definite inuendo (nothing too extreme, but it’s there), so you may want to check out the list before you share.  There.  I gave fair warning.  Now…

                      SLED                                     ……Or……                          SPOUSE?

 Only One Can Win!

1.Ill never forget the first time I saw you. sled or spouse Both
2 I wanted you instantly. sled or spouse  Both
3. I often find myself daydreaming about you. sled or spouse Both (probably the sled more, I pretty much get as much of Bill as I want!)
4. Theres more than one photo of you on my desk. sled or spouse  Niether!  (Note to self: get sledding pic for desk) [+ .5 pt sled]
5. I love showing you off to my friends. sled or spouse  Both
6. My friends remark how attractive you are. sled or spouse Both 
7.In a typical week we spend5 or more hours of time toghther. sled or spouse Spouse
8.when your around I often look at you with admiration and longing. sled or spouse  Both
9.in the last 3 months Ive spent more than 250$ on you. sled or spouse Sled (counting fuel, etc.  Hey–It’s been more than 3 months since Christmas or Bill’s birthday!)
10our last ride lasted more than an hour. sled or spouse  Uh, duh!  Sled
11. its thrilling how you respond underneath me. sled or spouse Both (But Bill gets credit for response across the room)[+.5]
12.I would never let anyone else ride you. sled or spouse Spouse (I have admittedly and begrudginly let other people on my sled, but never other people on my  husband)
13. You make my heart beat faster. sled or spouse Both
14. you make me feel young. sled or spouse Both (honestly, both.  Bill keeps me feeling young–it’s all part of his Master Plan.  And he got me into sledding, so he gets credit by default, too)
15. you have taken me places and shown me things, I thought I would never see. sled or spouse Both (But again, since Bill took me sledding to begin with, and is almost always riding with me & leading, he gains credit by default again)
16. when im alone with you im at peace with the world. sled or spouse Both (Aren’t I required to say that?)
17. you were made for me. sled or spouse Bill (The sled’s getting some mods & will be upgraded one day; Bill we’ll leave as is)
18. I cant live without you. sled or spouse Both (he created a monster)
19. I will never upgrade to a newer model. sled or spouse Bill (one day the sled will go to the older boy, and I’ll be moving up in the world!)

The Grand Total

By my calculations, the score is Sled: 15, Bill: 16.5.  Bill eeks it out in the end, but I have to say it was a close race and I wasn’t sure until I did the math myself.

THE WINNER! (By a ski)

Okay, do share…what’s your score?  Who’s the winner? 

If you happen to be one of those nuts reading who does not have a sled, you can replace sled with your vehicle or hobby of choice, be it fishing, hunting, an ATV, a boat, etc…  But you still have to share your results!

Sledders, if you’d like to join the Snowmobile Fanatics Forum and post your results with the original, go here:  http://www.snowmobilefanatics.com/forum/topic/78952/display.aspx

Disclaimer: The SledChick can in no way be held responsible for any marital rifts that may result from participation in this quiz or subsequent discussion.  Really if this thing causes your relationship [with your sled or your spouse] to become that stressed, you probably had other problems anyway!  It’s all in good fun…

The March 2008 issue of SnowGoer includes 15 Snowmobiling ‘Top 10′ Lists..everything from ‘10 Best Industry Rumors’ (which mean little to nothing to me, being a girl–I just didn’t get most of them) to the ‘10 Best Trail Riding Areas’.  They’re a mix of serious and silly, and sometimes oh so true…

Here’s one that had some promise…

10 BEST REASONS TO BE A SNOWMOBILER

This list was prefaced as “…if you had to describe it to a long-lost cousin from Nashville, how would you explain the allure of the sport?”

And the list goes: [My notations in brackets and italics]

1. The exhilaration of acceleration on snow or ice [I'm guessing the Nashville cousin wouldn't get it]
2. The Joy of playing in Virgin powder [the word 'virgin' was used, he'd probably relate somehow...]
3. Witnessing winter scenery that everybody else misses [I know we can all relate to this one; I know we do!  But there really is no explaining what you don't see...]
4. Beside a snowmobile trail is one of the last places where you can legally smoke [having never been a smoker, I wouldn't care, but I do relate to the reference to government control]
5. Be accepted wearing flourescent clothing [I thought hunters cornered this market.  And I wear Red]
6. The subtle pleasure of annoying people who hate winter but choose to live up north                Stop the Presses! This is my favorite one!  I cannot stand watching the morning newscasters whine about more snow!  If it bothers you so much…MOVE…some of us love the winter and appreciate the snow.  Others should just go to Florida.  Sorry, it’s a pet peeve in my household….
7. Riding snowmobiles eliminates concerns over the windchill factor
8. Introducing new people to a sport you know they will enjoy thoroughly [we've created many a monster; unfortunately, we have to foot the bill for 4 of them for at least 10 more years...]
9. It’s a great getaway with family and friends [No question!]
10. It’s a great getaway FROM family and friends [Even better!]

So what else can we add?  Hmmm…well, there’s the fact that no one can talk to me [unless we do go the communicator route] and no one can hear me sing on my sled [not that I really do that, but if I did...].  Making a corner Tommy biffed tops my list, too, and oh yeah, this one from the list of the 10 Best Sights On A Snowmobiling Day:

10. Your big-talking brother-in-law stuck in a snowbank [You know who you are, and you know I'm laughing right now.  And I swear I didn't make that one up--it's in the magazine!]

Okay, let’s have ‘em.  What would you add to the list of 10 Best Reasons To Be A Snowmobiler?