As snowmobilers, we are in a class by ourselves when it comes to relying on others for our fun & recreation.  Snowmobilers are a hearty lot, and we don’t call upon others to pave our way. Proof positive?

North America’s vast snowmobile trail systems.  Who builds them?  Who maintains them?  We do!   We see a need, we go after it.  We get permission to use the land.  We clear the trails and keep them clear (which is no small task).  We raise our own funds through registrations and club memberships to pay for the grooming and upkeep of those trails.  

How does this benefit anyone? 

Obviously, those of us riding the trails benefit greatly because we keep our sport alive.  But we also keep miles and miles of trails open for other sportsmen and women, such as ATV enthusiasts (who, admittedly, do a share themselves and/or are often snowmobilers as well), hikers, cross-country skiers and many more. 

Our minor interference into the untamed wilderness goes far to maintain open spaces, too; that land we put to good use is not being built up into parking lots, houses, and high-rises.  We’re proving there’s more to life.   

Few other sports can brag about the level of involvement its participants have which directly impacts their sport.  There aren’t a lot of swimmers building pools and dumping in chemicals on a daily basis (homeowners excepted, but you know what I mean); there aren’t a lot of skiers cutting slopes in hillsides and grooming their own snow.  But snowmobilers are committed to their sport.  And in one form or another, every one of us who are riding the trails legally or pitching in to maintain our favored trails is adding in some small way to the endurance of our sport and many others.

The ISMA can be thanked for bringing this point to light—bragging rights for something we should all be proud of, but don’t think of very often.  Visit their site for more.

This year will be the 16^th annual New England Snowmobile Expo; it will be held in West Springfield, MA, as always at the “Big E”—the Eastern States Exposition Center.  This is an event we usually try to attend, being sledheads and

Massachusetts residents. The NE Snowmobile Expo is a fun day-trip with the family for small money.  Admission is $8 for adults, free for kids under 12. There are lots of different exhibitors, and many vendors.  You can buy anything you need for the sled season, get travel and tourism information, and even register you sled for Massachusetts.  They have some great raffles, door prizes, and a few fun activities for the kiddies. 

If you’re into vintage sleds, you’ll enjoy this expo, as it also hosts the VSCA National Vintage Snowmobile Show.  Fun to look at even if you’re not an avid vintage collector (and man have we come a long way!).  Mark the date—the Expo runs October 13-14; Saturday the expo is open from 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday from 10 to 4.  A nice way to warm up to the upcoming season!!! 

Need more info?  Visit http://www.sledmass.com.

Here’s a fun forum for snowmobilers:  

http://www.snowmobileforum.com/ 

There’s lots of good chat on everything snowmobiling, and then some.  Registration is free (or minimal for premium members), quick, and easy.  The way life should be.  You can enter your profile if you want to, including what sled you ride. 

There’s lots of good chat going on there.  Snowmobileforum seems to be a great place to get information on sleds, repair, buying, accessories…or just a good place to bang around global theories and sled issues. 

There are also threads devoted to each major manufacturer, so you can jump in for whatever it is you ride. 

If you go, look for me (SledChick) and drop a line to say Hi.

After the last post, maybe you found yourself wondering…who cares if we have private trails to ride on?  Why not just ride on public lands? 

The reason private snowmobile trails matter is simple—snowmobile access.  I’m absent a figure here, when I find one I’ll pass it on, but the vast majority of snowmobile trails are private trails owned by individuals and companies such as logging operations.  This greatly increases the amount of ride-able snowmobile trails we have, and without private lands to ride on, we just wouldn’t be left with much. 

But aren’t there public snowmobile trails to ride on? 

There are, but they number far fewer.  What’s more, they’re far between.  Getting from one public-owned snowmobile trail to another would be pretty much impossible without crossing private land.  In short, riding only on publicly held snowmobile trails severely shortens and limits the ride. 

What’s more, public lands and national parks are always subject to political debate—so what is ride-able public land this year may not be the next.  As it is, it seems the rules governing public snowmobile trails and national parks are always changing with the political tide. 

To put it simply, we need private snowmobile trails to have good, reliable snowmobiling.  So take the previous advice, respect landowners and their property, and preserve the ride!

Respecting snowmobile trail owners’ property is something that was briefly touched upon in our discussion of trail etiquette, but it’s really an issue worth a discussion all its own.  Why?  Because the generosity of private landowners is what makes our sport possible.  When we treat landowners and their lands disrespectfully, we put a black eye on snowmobiling, and hurt our sport a little more every time we do. 

How can you show your respect for the property of private snowmobile trail owners? 

• Stay on marked trails, unless an emergency warrants otherwise—like I said in the last post, trails are designated where they are for a reason; riding wherever you please may cause damage to other lands, put children, family, and animals at risk, and become a noise nuisance to the residents of the property.  Hardly things you want to do if you want to stay on the good side of a landowner.
• Carry out everything you carry in.  Don’t litter on other people’s property!!!
• Keep your speed and noise down when riding near buildings and homes.
• Leave any gates and fences just how you found them.
• Ride responsibly and stay in control.
• Minimize the impact of your snowmobile on the trail and the surrounding area—don’t tear the place up!!  Something to watch for especially when the weather starts to warm, causing sporadic ground & mud to show.

 

It’s not unusual to find that a snowmobile trail owner is willing to share their property for the winter, but not so much for the spring, summer, and fall.  There are many different reasons for this and whether you know them or not, you must respect the decision of the landowner.  So if you are a quad rider too, don’t assume you can use all the same trails for four-wheeling, and don’t take denied access as an insult to your warm-weather sport. 

The fact is that snowmobiles enjoy that buffer of white stuff beneath the sled and the ground.  That means they just don’t do as much damage to the ground as four-wheelers and ATV’s.  But a landowner’s decision not to allow ATV’s on their snowmobile trails may be for more practical reasons, too.  Often trails pass through farm lands that crops and animals use during the snowmobile off-season; a landowner may have to shut off those trails in order to maintain their livelihood (or working hobby). 

When it comes right down to it, it doesn’t matter what the landowner’s reason is.  Their decision should be respected, and as a responsible rider, you need to always treat the land you borrow well, so that those lands will remain open to our sport, and we can keep enjoying the ride!!

Trail safety is, of course, paramount to snowmobile riding.  But there’s a very closely related, kissing cousin of trail safety that is almost as important, and sometimes inseparable from snowmobile trail safety—trail etiquette.  We all share the trails we ride on.  In most part, we all share trails that are owned by private individuals who very graciously allow snowmobilers to ride on their lands.  And it is very important to observe certain basics of snowmobile trail etiquette so that everyone stays safe, and the land-owners lands are protected. Why does trail etiquette matter? 

• To maintain safe riding spaces for everyone
• To respect landowners’ property, and protect non-trail spaces for their personal use
  • This includes protecting trail spaces, but it is especially important off-trail; owners have a lot going on on their land, and using it is a PRIVILEGE.  Land owners designate certain spaces as allowable for snowmobiling because it does not disrupt their lives overly much, is a safe area of their land to ride on, and does not place their families, children, pets, or animals, or their place of business, in harm’s way
• To protect the sport of snowmobiling, and help sledding maintain a good name—when riders are careless and disrespectful, non-riders look down on the entire sport, and landowners revoke our rights to ride on their property, which severely hinders snowmobile trail riding!

What is good snowmobile trail etiquette?   Here’s what the Pennsylvania DCNR lists; you’ll find it’s in line with what is accepted as good snowmobile riding etiquette everywhere. 

• Ride on marked trails, only where permitted
• Be considerate of other snowmobilers
• Keep to the right
• Slow down when passing other snowmobilers
• Leave gates the way you found them
• Yield right of way to bikes, horses, hikers, skiers, etc.
• Carry out everything you carry in
• Wave and greet other riders as you pass
• Report trail hazards (downed trees, maintenance needs) to managing club or overseeing organization

Add to that list

• Help snowmbilers in distress 

• Treat other riders as you’d have them treat you!

And always remember that showing you care about your sport makes others think snowmobiling is worth caring about!  Observing good trail etiquette is one of the best things you can do to make others want to join in the fun!

This should probably go without saying, but it’s never really crossed my mind before.  I wonder how many other parents and ‘hero’ snowmobile riders out there take this for granted?  I came across this issue on the state of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources site; it was part of a larger article on Snowmobile Safety and training.    Here’s a quote from the article, the part that sparked my interest (and this post): 

“Youth safety and training
Each year, hundreds of youth are involved in snowmobile accidents, some resulting in death. While riding these vehicles is fun, it also can be very dangerous. Because of a child’s leg and arm length, hand size, and strength, it is often difficult for children to properly control an adult-sized vehicle. Children driving snowmobiles should always be under the direct supervision of a responsible adult. Keep in mind:

• Children often emulate parental behavior; set good examples.
• Children often underestimate the danger and risk because of inexperience.
• Children often overestimate their skill level. “

I’m taking this to heart this winter, although I can honestly say I do not feel guilty of irresponsible riding whether or not my children are present.  I do, of course, use more care when I am riding around my children anyway, but kids do tend to want to be just like Mom, Dad, or other cool ‘old’ people when they watch something as thrilling as snowmobiling.

I think the key here is to 1) ride responsibly (all the time, but particularly) when children are around, and 2) keep the lines of communication open—let your kids know that you can ride faster and take on a little more because you are older, stronger, and more experienced. 

Show your kids that you have boundaries, too, and explain to them that you keep yourself safe by knowing your limits, and riding within them.  Moms, we’re probably in a good place to drive this point home.  This is not to say we’re not good riders, but many of us are not as strong as our male counterparts, so we ride a little less aggressively.  I am certainly willing to lose a little face if need be to help my children understand that all people ride at different levels, and the right speed and maneuvering for them is whatever they can handle and respond to, always bearing the unexpected in mind. 

 Always keep safety at the forefront of riding with children, and teach the next generation of snowmobilers to be safe, responsible riders.

Of course, if you live in a thriving snowmobile state like Maine or

Michigan, you already know that.  But if you find yourself constantly barraged by people who swear about our beloved sport of snowmobiling, here are some fast facts from ISMA to lend weight to your argument…

 Ø      US and Canadian snowmobilers spend more than $20 billion on the sport every year

Ø      Average expenditure on a sled — $6550 (and about 10% of sledders by new sleds every year)

Ø      Average expenditure on accessories — $1100

Ø      Average snowmobilers spend more than $3000 every year on tourism activities related to snowmobiling (travel, gas, lodging…)…half of all your fun money?  Or more?

Ø      There are 1840 licensed snowmobile dealers in the

U.S.—yes, this is where the other half of all your money, goes, we know….

Ø      Snowmobiling generates 85,000 full time jobs in

North America—go sledders!!! 

Woo hoo snowmobilers!    So the next time someone tells you snowmobiling is a worthless, wasteful, good for nothing habit, politely pick them up off the floor you so gently ‘laid’ them on, and explain to them the mountain of economic good the sport of snowmobiling does for families throughout the U.S.!