It was a cold and blustery weekend. I was worrying about an incomplete project at work and stress levels were pretty high. Normally I tend to deal with my emotions by going fishing or playing the piano. Unfortunately it was too windy to fish. I did play some piano but it wasn’t quite working out for me. I had to do something different.
I decided that at that moment I would buy myself a trail pass and take my snowmobile somewhere. My sled is usually a pack mule for ice fishing but it definitely had the capability to handle the trails. I hooked up the trailer, went to buy the pass and drove to the outskirts of the city. I rode the groomed trails and explored the countryside. I drove at high speeds through rivers, fields and ditches. It was quite the feeling, just driving everywhere without a plan. The only time I really felt this freedom before was when I first learned how to ride a bike and when I got my driver’s license.
Since then I have sledded a few times. While it’s not fishing, lots of anglers own some sort of winter transport and the sled is one of the more versatile methods in deep snow. As it is a prominent winter activity, I think it’s an important topic to discuss on this site.
Why Recreational Sledding?
Honestly it’s a pretty fun activity. The feeling of going faster than a car on the highway on an open vehicle can be pretty exhilarating. With the network of groomed trails, you can go fast and far.
Oftentimes the scenery is quite nice. Seeing farmland, forests, lakes and swamps is a huge difference from city buildings and streets. Like many other outdoor activities, it’s quite therapeutic to have a change in scenery.
It’s a great social activity as well. My friends and I ride out for hours until we reach a small town where we try the local cuisine. There is also the option to ride to one of the many warming shacks provided by the snowmobiling clubs and prepare a lunch there. True you can just eat at any restaurant in the city or prepare a meal at home but there is something special about sledding out far, socializing over lunch and sledding back to our staging area. These sledding trips have provided some great bonding moments.
Even meeting other sledders on the trails has been a pleasant experience. Generally it’s a pretty friendly community where people tend to share information and help each other out. (The online community is a different matter though but that’s like every other hobby.)
Preparations
I’m far from the most hardcore sledder out there but here are some things that I learned that may be helpful.
Depending on where you’re sledding, obtain the appropriate passes. Do not risk riding the trails without one as there are patrols who will hand out hefty fines. For those who want to try recreational sledding without committing to a full pass, there may be some free weekends. Where I’m from in Manitoba, the pass provides potential access to thousands of kilometers of groomed trails. There are warming shacks with wood stoves and first aid kits in case of an emergency. If you like doing a lot of recreational sledding, you can really get a lot of value out of your seasonal pass.
Plan your trips accordingly. Understand your machine’s fuel consumption to not get stranded. There may be gas stations in small towns that will let you refuel. Check the trail statuses as conditions change constantly. Sometimes poor snow cover, thin ice or drifts will make riding unpleasant or even dangerous. There are often online resources that allow you to check the statuses in real time. Sometimes following your local Facebook groups can help as some vital information may be shared (e.g. a gas station being closed unexpectedly).
Learning trail etiquette is important. When I first went out on the trail, within minutes I passed by a group and noticed them making signals with their hands. After they passed I realized that I had to pull over and review the hand signals. These hand signals help communicate vital information to other sledders.
Due to high speeds and varying terrain, always wear a helmet. Unfortunately, sledding claims lives every year and some of those cases involve a lack of head protection. Take the blind corners slowly as it can be difficult to anticipate an incoming rider.
If possible, ride with others especially when going deep into the wilderness. Sledding is an activity where mechanical failure is potentially fatal. By having multiple sleds in a group, one can reach out for help if a sled breaks down and cell phone reception is poor.
Final Words
If you’re an angler like myself who wants a change of pace, give recreational sledding a try. Oftentimes the dead of winter does not have many fishing opportunities and sledding is a way to wait out our long northern winters. Spend a relatively minor amount of a trail pass and experience some speed.
Normally I spend my winters fishing at the cottage but I might consider riding the trails nearby and seeing what the Canadian shield country is like. Future winters are going to be pretty interesting now that recreational sledding is an option as a winter activity.
