Backcountry Snowmobiling

[joel_sledz]

Hey everyone, it’s on my bucket list to head out West and do some backcountry snowmobiling. I’m from Northeast PA and absolutely love sleddin. Within the next couple years, I would love to head west and get with someone who could show me the ropes. I’m very active and in shape. I can handle a sled pretty decent and realize it’s a whole different ball game out there. Not looking to do anything to crazy. Mainly play in waist deep powder and climb some mountains. Don’t worry, I already kno I’ll spend most of my time digging myself out. I would most likely rent a sled out there for 2 or 3 days. My sleds here are not equipped for out there. Just wondering if anyone on here could point me in the right direction with someone who knows what I am looking for. Thanks!

 

[KurtR]

go here and have the time of your life

Guided Snowmobile Tours | Colorado | Burandt's Backcountry Adventure

Backcountry Tested, Burandt Approved Snowmobile Outerwear, Performance Parts and Accessories, Safety and Protection, Storage and bags, tools, Avalanche Gear and Apparel. The industries best snowmobile products put to the test

www.burandtsbackcountryadventure.com

 

[joel_sledz]

go here and have the time of your life

Guided Snowmobile Tours | Colorado | Burandt's Backcountry Adventure

Backcountry Tested, Burandt Approved Snowmobile Outerwear, Performance Parts and Accessories, Safety and Protection, Storage and bags, tools, Avalanche Gear and Apparel. The industries best snowmobile products put to the test

www.burandtsbackcountryadventure.com

I checked them out before. I’m sure it’s awesome. I just can’t spend 4K (not including travel expenses) for a 3 day trip haha. I wish I can. More so looking for some guys that head out in a group and would let me and my 2 buddies tag along. Thanks for the recommendation tho!

 

[Like2hunt]

When you looking to come?

 

[KurtR]

I checked them out before. I’m sure it’s awesome. I just can’t spend 4K (not including travel expenses) for a 3 day trip haha. I wish I can. More so looking for some guys that head out in a group and would let me and my 2 buddies tag along. Thanks for the recommendation tho!

what kind of sleds you bringing and do you have the avy gear if not i would rent that for sure some hairy conditions out there from what my friends tell me. if the black hills had better snow this year they are fun to go to and not as extreme as the real mountains. the big horns are pretty forgiving also if you have a gps and little general knowledge of the mountain riding you could go there and have fun with out any one having to show you around.

 

[Okhotnik]

Hey everyone, it’s on my bucket list to head out West and do some backcountry snowmobiling. I’m from Northeast PA and absolutely love sleddin. Within the next couple years, I would love to head west and get with someone who could show me the ropes. I’m very active and in shape. I can handle a sled pretty decent and realize it’s a whole different ball game out there. Not looking to do anything to crazy. Mainly play in waist deep powder and climb some mountains. Don’t worry, I already kno I’ll spend most of my time digging myself out. I would most likely rent a sled out there for 2 or 3 days. My sleds here are not equipped for out there. Just wondering if anyone on here could point me in the right direction with someone who knows what I am looking for. Thanks!

I ve been going out in N Idaho and NW Montana chasing wolves now. . Hit me up if you come out. Its a blast.

 

[joel_sledz]

what kind of sleds you bringing and do you have the avy gear if not i would rent that for sure some hairy conditions out there from what my friends tell me. if the black hills had better snow this year they are fun to go to and not as extreme as the real mountains. the big horns are pretty forgiving also if you have a gps and little general knowledge of the mountain riding you could go there and have fun with out any one having to show you around.

I would rent a sled and avg gear for sure. My sleds are not equipped for big snow. I understand the mountains and have a gps, I’m out there every September chasing elk. I would feel more comfortable with some experienced riders tho. If not, just a starting point would be fine!

 

[joel_sledz]

When you looking to come?

Most likely next winter. Unless I had an opportunity I could not pass up this year…

 

[KurtR]

I would rent a sled and avg gear for sure. My sleds are not equipped for big snow. I understand the mountains and have a gps, I’m out there every September chasing elk. I would feel more comfortable with some experienced riders tho. If not, just a starting point would be fine!

I have rode out of bear lodge before and its fun out there with out a huge avy danger like cooke city or other places. im sure the lodge could find some one to guide you.

Snowmobile Rentals 2022 – 2023 Season – Bear Lodge Resort

 

[Roofer1]

Grew up snowmobiling in WI. We started a long time ago and it was always easiest for the group I used hit the hills with to head to Togwotee Mountain Lodge. Haven't been for 3 years or so but we stayed there, rented sleds there, and they have groups that go out depending on your skill level. At least thats how we started... by the end of my mountain sledding career we just stayed there and I owned a 485#, 215 HP, 2 stroke turbo'd mountain sled. Starting to ride out west can be a slippery slope. Got too busy or I'd still go twice a year.

 

[Jkr61]

Colorado Sled Rentals- steamboat springs Coloradois an option. Thunderstruck adventures steamboat is new might want to check into them as well.

 

[Poser]

Doesn’t matter how much experience you may have riding a sled in the East, if you do not have an Avy Level 1 certificate, experience practicing partner rescue, know
-how of Avy gear and intimate knowledge of avalanche terrain &conditions, then you have 0 business going into the mountainous terrain of the Western backcountry DIY.

Big Flats and casual FS roads? Sure. But if you desire mountains, you need to go out with a guide. Period. There are an infinite number of ways you can die in the backcountry snowpack once you are in country with slope angles greater than 25-28 degrees (almost any terrain that is interesting). If you don’t know what you’re doing, and even if you do, you can trigger slides up to a 1,000 yards away that can guarantee death to yourself or someone else.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

I went through the Silverton Avalanche School a few years back. They generously provided real avalanche conditions when I was there. Attendees were about 50/50 BC skiers and sledders. "Avalanche gear" is pretty useless unless you've had some training. Most of the training was geared towards identifying and staying out of avalanche situations.

"Oh, you forgot your shovel? No worries you can carry mine instead."

 

[MTtrout]

I don’t snowmobile so cannot comment on that but have done a fair bit of backcountry skiing. What others have said about the risk of avalanches is not to be taken lightly. It also doesn’t take big terrain to warrant the risk of an avalanches. With the right snow load, even what appears to be a small ravine into a creek bottom has buried people when they got to close to the edge. All of these risks can be mitigated with knowledge of how snowpack, slope and aspect, terrain, wind loading…come into play. Avy gear is a must but knowing how to properly use it is what saves lives. I would never step foot in avalanche terrain with someone who didn’t have the gear and education to save my life and I wouldn’t do the same to someone else. With this said I highly suggest picking up a book about avalanches and snowpack and take a course, if possible. Lastly, never go into avalanche terrain without at least reading the current snowpack reports for the area you will be traveling in. I’ve have only references MT and UT reports but I’m sure all mountain states have them.

 

[Johnny Tyndall]

I would rent a sled and avg gear for sure. My sleds are not equipped for big snow. I understand the mountains and have a gps, I’m out there every September chasing elk. I would feel more comfortable with some experienced riders tho. If not, just a starting point would be fine!

Having gear is good, but it's like a seatbelt - if you're using it you've already effed up pretty bad. The main thing is to learn to recognize avy terrain so that you can avoid it - getting good enough to assess stability takes a while. The book Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper is the standard. Tons of fun to be had, just stay off (and out from under) slopes that can slide. Good luck and welcome to Cooke City - "Where Minnesotans Go to Die"

Edited to make the point clearer. You can for sure come out west and have a blast brapping around the mountains. You just have to know what avy terrain is and stay off it. That's actually not that hard at all.

 

[Poser]

I went through the Silverton Avalanche School a few years back. They generously provided real avalanche conditions when I was there. Attendees were about 50/50 BC skiers and sledders. "Avalanche gear" is pretty useless unless you've had some training. Most of the training was geared towards identifying and staying out of avalanche situations.

"Oh, you forgot your shovel? No worries you can carry mine instead."

That’s a good school and Silverton is a great place to learn as it provides some of the most concentrated dangerous and appealing terrain in CO. That being said, to further drive home the example of how dangerous the backcountry snowpack can be, there have been avalanche fatalities in the actual Silverton avalanche school classes.

I have an acquaintance who happened to be in the same locale as some inexperienced timbersledders who got buried ~30 feet deep. Him, his partner and a few others who happened to be around dug for hours, into states of absolute exhaustion. They were finally relieved by SAR, but it took another full day to recover the bodies.

 

[mtnbiker208]

snowest.com they have forums and you might be able to find some like minded people close to you to take a trip out west.
Avy's happend and i have been to a number of funerals, but they are not every slope of every mountain. Get the gear and learn some knowledge, skip cooke city.

 

[wytx]

3C Guiding - Wyoming Snowmobile Rentals, UTV Rentals, & Guides Services

At 3C Guiding, we are Wyoming's one stop shop for snowmobile rentals, utv side by side rentals, and avalanche gear rentals.

www.3cguiding.com

Snowy Range is well known and we get tons of folks from out of state to sled the mountains.

 

[Team4LongGun]

I’m from NE PA and can tell you the mountain riding is an entirely different animal. I’ve ridden sleds for 30 years and my first time mountain riding was a huge disappointment....it’s as if it’s your first time on a sled because the riding is totally different. You have to learn all over again.

You want to go to a western/deep powder riding clinic FIRST.

And any sled rental guided ride you go on, will most likely be babysitting and hand holding on mostly groomed trails where your 120” track back East would be fine. I know because I passed a group of them last week in NW MT.
There are plenty of groomed trails out here that you can trail ride with a trail sled. You could find some fields or meadows of powered and play depending on the snow pack/depth. What you can’t do, is break trail on anything-you will get stuck, and stuck again trying to turn around.
Western snowmobiling and mountain riding are different. Know what you want, and research before you pay and get disappointed.

 

[Mountainrancher]

Check out Colorado sled rentals. I know a gal that works over there and she gets after it. I believe they do guided or unguided rentals and will actually take you out in to the steep and deep if you ask for it.