It’s true, at least in Lincoln.  My mother-in-law called at 5:15 yesterday morning to tell us thay had gotten an inch of snow overnight.  No, I’m not crazy enough to have requested an early morning Maine weather update, my mother-in-law just felt compelled.

Of course, she knew she was being a tease, and it worked, because we’re itching for even that first small dusting; having brought home a matching pair of boys and girls Polaris 120’s (that pink is as cute as you think it is!!) this past weekend, we’ll settle for even an inch or two for now (and if I skip dinner for a few days, I might even make the weight limit….chewing on the idea, chewing on the idea…[no I'm not that skinny, kids are just fatter these days]).

Anyway, I’m taking this as a hopeful sign following one of the warmest and dryest Octobers on record.  There WILL BE SNOW!  We’ve grown accustomed to having miserable winters in Massachusetts; I’m happy to travel, so if it’s not here, I’m satisfied with it being up there.  Actually, come to think of it, this may be one of the only Octobers I remember when we didn’t see a few premature flakes.  And I definately remember taking my son trick-or-treating his first year in sleet and snow.  Getting harder to argue that the climate isn’t changing, now, isn’t it?

Well, tomorrow is November, and that’s close enough to winter, so after midnight tonight I am officially wishing for the white stuff and whipping out my snow-dance costume.  Now woudln’t a white Thanksgiving be nice?

I’m setting off on a new mission–to review the best snowmobile magazines in the biz, and bring the info to you.  I’m currently researching what magazines are available to us, and when I’m able to get my hands on some, I’ll post the results.

For now I’m sticking to dedicated snowmobiling publications, because I can’t fathom slogging through four wheeler and dirt bike articles in more general powersports magazines (although if one shows enough promise, maybe it will end up making the short-list).

Obviously, Supertrax will be there, but I’m looking for suggestions as well.  If you know of a good (or bad) snowmobiling magazine you think I should review, please comment.  If you PUBLISH a snowmobile magazine and would like to donate a few free copies, I’d be happy to oblige, just drop a comment and I’ll be in touch with contact information.

We don’t have to limit this exclusively to snowmobiling magazines, we can include catalogs and websites as well; each one will be reveiwed within their own category.

One last request of your time before I go–to make this as useful to my readers as possible, I’d like to know what’s important to you in a magazine.  So comment and tell me what you want me to look for and what criteria magazines should be rated against.  The lines are open, I’m waiting for your call….

Not wanting to leave you hanging with just half the information Mark Lester gave us (re: the perfect women’s sled) in case you didn’t visit Supertrax for the whole low-down, I’m posting a portion of Mark’s article, yet again, with commentary.  We still have a ways to go, but here’s some more… 

“Back to the sleds. A snowmobile which has flexible ergos is an advantage for women pilots. The Jaguar Z-1 is incomparable in this area. My wife really appreciated the moveable bars and seat – many women feel uncomfortable on sleds with ergo’s skewed to men sizes.

So, you asked which is the best? – here’s another qualifier. Women like light snowmobiles. In fact riders generally are more tolerant of weight the heavier they are themselves. Light riders like and appreciate light sleds. Okay, heavy riders do as well but the importance of lighter weight is more prevalent in the preferences of smaller riders – men or women.” 

Again, Mark’s right.  I hadn’t realized the importance of ergonomics until we went to the recent open house at Higgins Powersports and I sat on one of the new Polaris’s.  I love my sled, but I can see that there are certain factors which could be improved.  The one I noticed right off the bat was the higher stance of the IQ Mark talks about (as for the others, well, you all know I’m just a Polaris girl, so I didn’t test them out—you all will have to let me know).   

I knew nothing of sledding when my Polaris 550 was purchased—I had to take my husband’s lead.  He did an excellent job picking out my ride, but now that I’ve had some experience I’ll know what else I might like to look for in my next snowmobile purchase, and like Mark says, the ergo’s will play a big part.  I would definitely have more fun if I could increase my maneuverability (and visibility).  I do think things like “Rider Select” will become big factors—I’m very picky about my tilt wheel and seat adjustments, I’d love to bring that to my sled. 

As for weight, that’s a given.  Contrary to what I said in my early post regarding increasing strength to benefit my riding, I have actually given in and started some light weight-training (a post for another day…), so that will help, but there’s only so far I’ll be able to go, and sled weight will always factor (my maiden name is Indian for ‘no genetic arm-strength’—and you can skip the comments about my lack of PC, I know…). 

So suffice to say this is more great advice from Motorhead Mark.  If you’re a buying woman (or even a guy) take away that which is most usable to you, and make the most of your investment…this just might be your ride for years to come, and you want it to be a good one.

More thanks go to Mark Lester today from Supertrax.Again, this quote comes from the Supertrax newsletter.Mark brings up a very interesting point about buying snowmobiles that are more environmentally friendly. The answer here surprised me, and since we’ve heard so much about four stroke snowmobiles being the earth-friendly choice, I’m guessing it might be the first many of you have heard about this, too.

“Now after saying this and paying attention to your site’s concern over the environment, I would like to give you this qualifier as well. New EPA certified (not compliant) 2 strokes like the SDI Ski-Doo’s and the Polaris Cleanfires are no more dirty than comparable 4 strokes. In fact, the new certified 2 strokes generate less emissions in some situations than comparable 4 strokes. Vice-versa applies in certain situations with certified 4 strokes as well.

What I’m saying is this – it’s about the EPA certification – not about the strokes. Keep in mind, Ski-Doo SDI 2 strokes are mpg champions in every class.”

Again, the issue is not as cut and dried as it would at first appear, and if you really want to buy the most environmentally friendly sled, it seems some more research and reading is in order. Great info to have; I’m glad Mark brought this up because it’s the first that I’ve heard of it. At any rate, at least we can feel better that strides are being made in cleaning up snowmobile emissions to protect the earth and save our winters!

Moving on through Mark Lester’s suggestion for the perfect women’s sled…. 

“ This leads me to suggest a 4-stroke. 4-strokes inherently deliver ji-normous bottom end, low RPM squeeze. It’s the kind of power we call “tractable”. This means you can meter out what you want in precise proportion to your right thumb’s command.

However, there is a small problem with this. 4 strokes are generally heavier than 2 stroke powered sleds. So here’s how I’ll qualify this – a sled like the Polaris IQ FST 750 4 –stroke or the Arctic Cat Jag Z-1 or the Yamaha Vector are great trails sleds that “mask” their weight well. On hard pack snow you would be hard pressed to identify the extra weight. In loose snow or “boon docking” for sure, it’s a penalty.  

The Yamaha Nytro and the Phazer are the first of a new generation of 4 strokes which are actually very competitive to their comparable (horsepower – not displacement) 2 stroke cousins.” 

 –”Tractable” is precisely what I want in a sled for the control and security—I want fast response to unknowns; but it has to be weight manageable.  This is why I don’t like riding my husband’s sled—it’s just too heavy for my girly arms.  My hub and I checked out some Polaris 4 strokes this weekend and they were very heavy—let’s hope this improves (can’t remember if it was the IQ FST Mark mentions here or not; I know it was a pretty blue….).   –It’s great that these sleds mask their weight well, but I’m not sure I’d want to rely on ever-predictable trail conditions, and I want to maintain flexibility & maneuverability regardless of where we ride.  Bill’s a big guy, and after lifting the 4 strokes we saw this weekend, even he said he’d hate to go off trail and have to pull it out. 

–Hate to consider a Yamaha, we’d have nothing to hold against my neighbor J 

These are all great points Mark brings us, but it seems on the surface that maybe I’ll be waiting before I replace my 550 with a 4 stroke.  Four strokes are being touted as great environmental choices, too, but before you go buy one for that reason alone, consider not only what Mark says here but also what he has to say next…but for that you’ll have to come back tomorrow.

As promised, I’d like to start delving into Mark Lester’s reply to the question: What’s the perfect women’s sled?

Maybe I led you here with a somewhat provocative post title (well, that’s my job, isn’t it?), but I have to say that I didn’t disagree with much—if anything—Mark had to say. His was an excellent article that really spoke to so many aspects of buying snowmobiles for women. Really, the only impetus for “picking apart Mark” is just to break the matter down into more digestable pieces. So here goes…

This is the first topic Mark addresses that I’ like to speak to a little.

“I think snowmobiles which deliver strong low end power – not so much high RPM squeeze – are more desirable for women. Women are very practical in their use of the throttle – it has been my experience that women can almost always generate the best mpg numbers when we test sleds.

I believe it’s because they do not jump in and out of the throttle like many males seem to. As well, women do not like the sensation of track spin or in particular tail sliding – I know there are exceptions – however, women like to have a firm grip on white top – many guys like the sensation of sliding in and out of turns. Simply put, If you’re spinning the track – you’re wasting fuel.”

…” women can almost always generate the best mpg numbers when we test sleds” Go Girls!!! (see, we are more environmentally responsible )

At least from my own perspective, I have to say Mark (and his wife who proved a valuable resource) is spot-on here. Like he said, there are, of course, exceptions, and from time to time I might be feeling courageous and be one of them, but overall, I want to be in control and know I’m in control. With four kids, it’s essential that at least one of us makes it home in one piece. This is the stark difference (well, that and speed, which is talked about later in the article) between my husband and me and our riding styles—he gets a thrill out of scaring himself, I just get slower.

I’d love to hear if this is the consensus, so please, feel free to weigh in—either in agreement or disagreement. Comment amongst yourselves….

You might recall a while back (and if not I don’t blame you) I promised to seek out answers to an appropriate question:

What Is The Perfect Women’s Snowmobile?

Recently, I posed this question to “Motorhead Mark” (aka Mark Lester) from Supertrax through the Supertrax  website.  I expected a short and thoughtful answer, but Mark delivered so much more!  My question has been included in the latest Supertrax newsletter, which I now receive via email after having registered for the free Polaris giveaways.

Mark delivered a full article-length description of what he thinks makes the ideal women’s sled.  He didn’t offer up any single sled in particular, but mentions some very good possibilities offered by various manufacturers.  More importantly, Mark tells us why he recommends the sleds he does.  He also gets into some other very pertinent issues regarding buying snowmobiles and choosing the right sled for you; Mark shows he did his homework, too, and visited the SledChix Blog prior to answering the question, so he talks about all the things that are important to us here, including buying environmentally friendly snowmobiles (and the answer here might surprise you–a must read before you buy a new sled!).

I’m not going to do Mark an injustice by trying to paraphrase someone who is obviously a far more experienced and knowledgeable expert than I am (especially since an expert I’m not).  Instead, I’ll give you the link to the newsletter.  When you get there, scroll down to ‘Ask The Experts’ and click on the obvious link (what’s the perfect women’s sled) to learn from Mark’s very good advice.

I’d like to extend my Thanks to Mark for not only answering my questoin, but doing so so thoroughly.  This isn’t the last we’ll hearing about this article; in the next  few posts I’ll take some time to highlight some important topics and aspects of buying snowmobiles that Mark included.

To read Mark’s answer, read the Supertrax newsletter here.  Hey while you’re there, you might as well sign up to receive all the Supertrax newsletters (and don’t forget the free giveaways)!

Today is Blog Action Day; bloggers are being asked to dedicate a post today to the environment in hopes of saving it and increasing awareness.  Good timing, considering my weekend posts! In honor of the environment and Blog Action Day, I’m bringing you a checklist that you can find in its entirety on the Montana State Department of Environmental Quality Website (the link mentioned in the last post).  I chose this checklist because (as I understand it) these are things any snowmobiler can do, even if you don’t own one of the newer, more environmentally friendly snowmobiles.  Here’s what the list says to do to keep your snowmobile running its cleanest and greenest: -tune your snowmobile’s engine-tune/adjust your snowmobile’s clutch

-use the right jets in your snowmobile

-reduce pollution by running oxygenated fuels—they recommend 10% ethanol blend

-run synthetic lube oils—low particulate producing synthetics, which reduce particulates and smoke

-run synthetic biodegradable lube oil—touted as reducing negative health effects and being better for the environment

-contact a dealer, snowmobile retailer, or service station/provider for product availability 

That’s it!  I’m seriously going to look into these easy changes for this riding season; a new four-stroke isn’t in the financial cards this year, but with these tips there still might be something I can do with my sled to help the environment while I ride. Want to read more from

Supertrax  magazine has anounced 2 free contests.  You can enter to win a free Polaris 600 Shift and you can enter to win a weekly prize of $100 worth of free Pure Polaris gear.  Here’s how:

 -For the free sled giveaway, you need to get your hands on an entry form either from the print version of the mag or from the Supertrax Magazine Website.  After you fill out the form, you have to take it to any Polaris dealer to be entered into the drawing.  If you win the Polaris 600 Shift, you also win an all-expense paid trip to Minnesota to tour the Polaris plant and ride with the editors of  Supertrax (I’m not sure which prize would be better!  I like my sled, I’d settle for the free snowmobile vacation!).   You can download the entry form online, but you can’t enter the form for this giveaway online–you have to visit a Polaris dealer (oh the things we have to do…).  The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada, and one winner will be chosen from each country.

 -To enter for the free gear, you have to go to the Supertrax website–you can’t enter this one anywhere else.  Entry is simple, though, just go to the site, scroll down to the lower left of the homepage and click on the Shift giveaway ad.  That takes you to an online entry form where you just enter a few details (which I’m so sure they’ll use to keep emailing you, but heck, isn’t a little SPAM worth free snowmobile gear?).  This giveaway is ongoing until January 4, 2008 and one winner will be drawn every week, so keep going back to enter every week through the end of the promo. 

 While you’re there, you can do lots more like read up on snowmobile issues and sled reviews or subscribe to the mag online.  Best of luck to all–let me know if you win.  I’m off to throw my weekly hat into the ring!

I’ve been off searching for good information regarding snowmobiles and the environment.  It’s tough to find because the Yellowstone issue has muddied the waters quite a bit, and there’s lots of claim that the studies on which the Yellowstone regulations have been based are flawed, biased, misinterpreted and ignored by various individuals, groups, and powers that be (on both sides of the issue).  Quite frankly, the average person couldn’t tell what to believe there. 

But, I promised to bring what I could and I’ve finally found a promising informational site that strives to lay out the facts about snowmobiling and its impact on the environment.  I’ve looked around this site for a few minutes and it seems to be pretty fair to both parties, and also offers solutions to the snowmobiling environment problem that go beyond banishing the sport of snowmobiling. 

The site is title Clean Snowmobile Facts and you can find it here.  Bookmark the page, because there’s a lot here to learn and the information deserves more than a passing glance. 

I’ve selected a few articles and points from this site, and in future posts I’ll discuss some of what I’ve found.  For those of you who visit the site, please do comment and let me know what you think about the issues and the information.