First ride of the season...

[Motorhead]

Bob, I think there's 3 factors in any combination that will play a role in 99.9% of the fatalities in this sport and include all 3 and it's plain lethal.... Lack of experience, Alcohol and speed. Tic One box you should ride with caution to be safe, You might be ok if you tic 2 boxes, but not safe. Tic all three and you just shouldn't be on a sled period! Alcohol should account for 2 boxes in any scenario and in my eyes should never come into play with any responsible rider!!!!!!

I learned long ago that alcohol and Motorsport do not mix, so for me Speed can Tic you out fast, so one needs their full senses working @ 100%, if you love WOT when in safe spots! It's not that I worry much about putting a HURT on me or my sled, but worrying about the others that also share the trails, beds or lakes!

 

[74Nitro]

It's a flat $100 fine in Ontario, doesn't affect insurance and no demerit points.
Occasionally, the police set up radar.
The majority of the time they are after impaired drivers and checking for insurance and trail permits.

 

[KnappAttack]

A group of us got stopped by the DNR a few years back, I know I was on my Turbo 1200 Doo so this was around 2015 or so. One of the times I wasn't trail leader, maybe third or fourth in the pack at the time, I was wondering why the leader (my friend) even stopped for them as they were in a pickup truck, its not my style to stop for the law, but him being a law abider he is, decided to pullover and stop. The two DNR guys were taking our names and registration numbers down going down the line, they saw all of us "ripping it earlier" they had claimed. Imagine that... Well the lead DNR fellow got to me and looked at my license ID I gave him, he said to his partner, "Mike Knapp! give them all back their ID's, we're done here", they gave us all our ID's back and let he let us all go just like that.

Evidently I have a reputation of some sort, not sure if its good or bad, but he let us go either way, so I'll take it. I know I was known to outrun the "city and county law enforcement officers" more than a few times back in the day with my vehicles and motorcycles, but thats for another discussion. True story not kidding at all. We still laugh about it all these years later.

 

[KnappAttack]

Looks like we have some snow forecast for Sunday. Forecast say 5" to 8" which could put us back into the swing of winter again finally. Hope the warm weather stays away and the snow comes and keeps coming! Seeing green grass is something Ive had enough of the last couple of seasons. FINGERS CROSSED!

 

[fatchance]

A group of us got stopped by the DNR a few years back, I know I was on my Turbo 1200 Doo so this was around 2015 or so. One of the times I wasn't trail leader, maybe third or fourth in the pack at the time, I was wondering why the leader (my friend) even stopped for them as they were in a pickup truck, its not my style to stop for the law, but him being a law abider he is, decided to pullover and stop. The two DNR guys were taking our names and registration numbers down going down the line, they saw all of us "ripping it earlier" they had claimed. Imagine that... Well the lead DNR fellow got to me and looked at my license ID I gave him, he said to his partner, "Mike Knapp! give them all back their ID's, we're done here", they gave us all our ID's back and let he let us all go just like that.

Evidently I have a reputation of some sort, not sure if its good or bad, but he let us go either way, so I'll take it. I know I was known to outrun the "city and county law enforcement officers" more than a few times back in the day with my vehicles and motorcycles, but thats for another discussion. True story not kidding at all. We still laugh about it all these years later.

Good story Mike. I was thinking you saved him from getting stuffed in a locker back in highschool!!!

 

[Upstater57]

Bob, I think there's 3 factors in any combination that will play a role in 99.9% of the fatalities in this sport and include all 3 and it's plain lethal.... Lack of experience, Alcohol and speed. Tic One box you should ride with caution to be safe, You might be ok if you tic 2 boxes, but not safe. Tic all three and you just shouldn't be on a sled period! Alcohol should account for 2 boxes in any scenario and in my eyes should never come into play with any responsible rider!!!!!!

Drinking and riding at night is why I am on the trailer before dark. Add to that too much speed, icy corners and lack of carbides. Throw in an occasional dock jutting out in a lake and its a wonder there are not more fatalities. All the police would have to do is have an unmarked car with a breathalyzer at most snowmobile bars at about 9pm on a Saturday night and lots of riders would need to call their attorney in the morning. I have been to enough funerals in my 54 years of riding to know this is true.

 

[journeyman]

Drinking and riding at night is why I am on the trailer before dark. Add to that too much speed, icy corners and lack of carbides. Throw in an occasional dock jutting out in a lake and its a wonder there are not more fatalities. All the police would have to do is have an unmarked car with a breathalyzer at most snowmobile bars at about 9pm on a Saturday night and lots of riders would need to call their attorney in the morning. I have been to enough funerals in my 54 years of riding to know this is true.

I think I have ridden in the UP for at least 25 years or so, we usually rode during the day, but all day at that. Some years, I would put on a thousand miles in 4 days. We'd stop at lunch time for food, but saved the drinking for back at the cabin or the house we rented.

The one thing that is nice riding at night is you can see the headlights through the trees of the oncoming traffic, unlike during day hours. Unfortunately, the chance of drunk riders probably goes up at that time too.

 

[Turboflash]

The one thing that is nice riding at night is you can see the headlights through the trees of the oncoming traffic, unlike during day hours. Unfortunately, the chance of drunk riders probably goes up at that time too.

Agree. At least at night I can see headlights. I feel worst time is mid afternoon until sundown. Can't see headlights and too many have had a few bar stops.

 

[journeyman]

Well here we go again, the snow is going in the gutter. I think Mother Nature hates us.

 

[KnappAttack]

Was going to take a ThunderCat I had in the shop this AM for a test hit, but the little snow we had is all slush now after the rain and warmth. Big sigh.....

Now we need to start all over again. Gonna take a lot of effort to remain in this cruel hobby we love so much.

 

[Doc Harley]

Well here we go again, the snow is going in the gutter. I think Mother Nature hates us.

I almost bailed due to warm temps. Snow is loose but stable. Land O Lakes and surrounding. 200miles so far..with 20 of it i didn't care for (Boulder Junction) it's the worst!

 

[journeyman]

I almost bailed due to warm temps. Snow is loose but stable. Land O Lakes and surrounding. 200miles so far..with 20 of it i didn't care for (Boulder Junction) it's the worst!
View attachment 179731

Looking like another season of UP or nothing for us midwestern riders.

 

[Doc Harley]

N

Looking like another season of UP or nothing for us midwestern riders.

Nope!! Hang in there, there's plenty of snow on the ground & temps are dropping on Saturday.

 

[DooZ]

The holiday weekend traffic of course did take some toll on the trails in N WI, but more just rough/moguls more than anything. We did get some rain late yesterday, but that just seemed to ice everything down. Hopefully no sun the next few days, and maybe a little refresher this weekend will certainly help.

 

[Doc Harley]

The holiday weekend traffic of course did take some toll on the trails in N WI, but more just rough/moguls more than anything. We did get some rain late yesterday, but that just seemed to ice everything down. Hopefully no sun the next few days, and maybe a little refresher this weekend will certainly help.

The freezing rain solidified the snow cover. I'm not throwing enough snow up on the heat exchangers today. 170° for the last two days, today high 180's to low 190's. I have to korean off the trail more than I like. Warm temps should thaw things out this afternoon.