While bopping around the network yesterday, I came across a couple of snowmobiling posts at Tom Remington’s Blogging the Outdoors.

The first must-read (see, really) is titled ‘Not Your Father’s Snowmobile’.  These are some pretty cool pics of a hot-rod snowmobile of all things (no, really!); something you might expect to be titled ‘Only in Texas’…if it snowed in Texas…

 The second takes a more serious note.  It’s a press release from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife regarding a couple of young men that were injured when attempting to hold up a snowmobile to spin the track [read the press release here].  In the one case, the track flew off, hit the two young men in the legs and caused leg fractures and injuries.  The other case, which I read about in early January on our last trip snowmobiling to Maine, occurred when one guy was holding up the sled and fell under the track; the track took his foot clean off.

 Now, you know that if you sled you know someone who’s done this, probably several times.  In fact, we did this (okay not me because I’m a little wimpy girl, but Bill & Tommy did) on the trail last week when I was experiencing some odd clutch/track noise.  I doubt sledders will ever really stop diagnosing snowmobile troubles this way, but extreme caution is at the very least advised.

 At the very least, I hope we all learn from this to take care during snowmobile repairs and watch yourself around the tracks.  Knowing about the first incident did make me think a bit last week when I tried to give Sarah a push on an icy hill; it didn’t turn out to be much of a push becuase I was really watching that track.  Nevertheless, us girls were able to safely put our heads together and got the sled to the top (since the guys took off when they saw her headlight without confirming her cresting the hill–nice to have picks, eh Tommy?).

Enough busting for now.  The moral of the story is to be as careful off your sled as on (probably more).  And now that you’ve endured your lecture for the day, make sure you go check out that Hot-Rod Snowmobile!

It came to my attention last week in an article I read up in Maine that you can now download snowmobile trail maps online for certain locations.  A handy resource, since we’re inevitably ready to ride and still searching for decent snowmobile trail maps. 

I went looking, and so far here’s what I found for Maine.  The first link is for the state ITS trail system–they’re all on there in this downloadable PDF. 

Pickings for local and club maps are more slim, but they’re out there for some.  The second link here is from http://www.mesnow.com/ (Maine Snowmobile Association); actually the first is too.  It has a list of clubs and where to send for, download, or pick up local trail maps in more detail.

Since we’ve got readers from all over here, I’ll keep looking for more online snowmobile trail map resources.  If you know of one, feel free to comment and leave a link!  Likewise, if you are looking, let me know and I’ll see what I can dig up for you!

 Maine ITS Trail Map

http://www.mesnow.com/Map.html 

 Local & Regional Maps

http://www.mesnow.com/Maps.html

Happy trail mapping!

An abuse of my blogging network?  Perhaps.  But I had to take the chance to wish a HAPPY CYBER BIRTHDAY to one of my favorite girls!!

Happy Birthday, Josselyn!  Now, it’s about time to slow down on the aging thing!

Love, Mom

Let the pictures do the talking…

  What more can I say…?

More pics from my backyard!  This is the latest visitor to our yard–a huge pileated woodpecker.  I did the best I could with the pics, sorry I’m no pro.  This pine-loving ant eater is something else to see, especially out your window!  Credit goes to Tim for spotting him first one day on the way to school.  He’s become a regular backyard visitor.  Pretty neat, eh?

These guys are not your average woodpecker (although a downy one does come to eat our suet, but much smaller and harder to get pictures of).  Pileated woodpeckers grow to be almost 20 inches long–that’s about how big this one is (which Tim insists is a male, but I’ve yet to confirm).

An impressive backyard visitor!

Those holes he makes are huge, too.  I’m sure this is no good for the tree, but since it was obviously already infested with insects, guess we won’t be too concerned.  Besides, the loss of another softwood near my house is a small price to pay to get up close and personal with some cool wildlife!

  Got anything to eat?

Yup.  Absolutetely nothing to do with snowmobiling, but I loved seeing him and thought I’d share!

Can you remember your first crash?  Did it look something like this?

  Don’t worry, the sled wasn’t hurt.  Oh yeah, and neither was Joss

I haven’t actually crashed yet, but I have buried my sled off-course a time or two.  I’m hoping that remains the worst of my worries, but I’m sure my day will come.

So how about it?  Care to share?  Any good tales about your first crash?  We’d love to know, and you can always remain anonymous if you want to.  (But remember if we know you there’s always the chance we’ll recognize the tale :)! )

Not enough to ride, but isn’t it pretty?  Just an inch or so, wet enough to stick to the trees…

This is the sight I was treated to this morning after a few days of light on again/off again snows.  A good dumping would be better, but at leas the place looks cleaner!

This lingering snow got me to thinking a bit, too.  I was remebering how before I started sledding the winters seemed so long.  Seems like by January I’d had enough of winter and couldn’t wait to get back to Spring to enjoy the great outdoors again!  Now, I’m always sad to see winter go. 

Funny how a new recreation changes you.  Yesterday I caught myself watching a snocross video on the Outdoor Network in Wal Mart!  Can’t say that I’ve ever stopped to watch TV in Wal Mart’s electronic dpeartment before… In fact, Cousin Paul was just busting me a month or so again when I was talking about something to do with snowmobiling, recalling the old days when all the girls got pissy every time the guys wanted to ride.  Had they included us then, things would have gone a lot more smoothly for them!  Little did we all know…

This week we’re getting ready for the big Trek north to Winterfest (a weekend full of fun & games & libations, the baby of Bill’s crazy Uncle).  Next week we’ll be up there for the games & [cross my fingers] sledding till we drop.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to get some pics out to here, too, but that may have to wait for my return.

So yesterday we started talking about how the weakening economy and increased fuel prices are affecting snowmobilers and vacation and snowmobiling plans for the year.  A number of network blogs at SkinnyMoose joined in, too, on their blogs (Thanks, guys!).  You can see the original post here and click on the trackbacks in the comments section to see what Jon Clausen, Tom Remington and some others were saying (be forewarned–Jon’s response is a little extreme ).

Today, I turned on the news to see the latest report on some nasty New England icy weather headed this way (absolutley no good for the sledding….), and before I could see the weather report I hear that Exxon again posted record earnings this quarter.  Not just a record for them, but a record for any company in U.S. history!!  Yes, as the rest of us are being squeezed to travel and heat our homes, Exxon Mobile is making more money than any company in this country ever has!!

I really would have thought that after the last record earnings report Bush & others would have leaned on his cronies a bit harder to make their income look a little less pretty.  You know, since the rest of us, those wihtout Exxon stock, are hard-pressed to pay our bills just to stay warm!  I hate to jump on the Bush-bashing bandwagon (how many times can you say that fast?), but really, people….

I won’t pretend to have the whole thing figured, but basic math dictates otherwise.  Increased production costs should equal decreased profits.  Or doesn’t the oil industry run on petroleum?  Frustrating to say the least.

Am I alone in this or is anyone else noticing a trend?