Snow riding to me is a neat experience, locally on
the Oregon coast where I live (good ol' sea level) the opportunity
for snow is limited, though given the right weather pattern I can
drive for a half hour and find lots of snow on the nearby Nicolie
Mountain (elevation about 3000ft) where sometimes the snow depth
nearing the summit can accumulate up to 5ft, for those of you in
the snow country that's probably a big "oh-boy, but hey, its a lot
to me!
Traditionally my ATV recreation calendar
goes like this: Summers are spent in the sand at the Oregon Dunes,
fall, I hit the trails, winter, find some snow, spring, hit some
trails and dream about the sand, a vicious four seasons of nonstop
ATV recreation. In November I got invited by Bombardier to attend a
press release of the new Outlander, an opportunity to ride in the
snow, in real snow country at Bombardiers test facility two and a
half hours from Québec City, the Auberge du
Lac-à-l'Eau-Claire . We rode for 5 hours on un-groomed
snowmobile trails, in deep snow and the teeth chattering cold. I
loved it! Riding in the snow for extended periods of time is a real
test on machine and rider, who will give in first.
Back in Oregon, some of my friends and I occasionally go on a
"Blizzard Run", where we go and ride in a blizzard, man, that's
intense, its not too much fun, but finishing is great, I guess it's
the same mindset mountain climbers have, except we do it ATV style,
with a seat and a motor. We have had trips were, out of 8 quads,
only 2 made it to the last leg of the journey, with problems like
hypothermic (underdressed) riders, to broken drive-belts, blown
motors, broken cooling systems, crashing over the mountain, sheets
of ice (on a steep hill) and downed trees stop us from making it to
the top. Ok so we only made it to the top once during a blizzard
run (1 out of 14?).
I am going to pass on to you, my
friends, what I have learned about snow riding. Simple things, as
well as things to think about, so here they are:
The ATV- make sure its up to the test,
change the oil, check the cooling system, basically fix anything
that you would expect to break. Speaking of brakes, make sure the
brakes are up to par, going back down your brakes are the only
thing warm. BRING LOTS OF GAS!
Tires: you want real aggressive mud type tires, the
taller the better! Some of the tires I have had great snow trips on
were the Super Swampers, Realtors & ITP 589's that work the
best in deep snow.
2wd of 4wd? 4x4
is the best option here, though we have had some persistent riders
accompany us on 2wd quads, they fallow the 4wd 's who are plowing
and smoothing out the ruts. The 2wd ATV's low center of gravity is
the biggest downfall in deep snow, also the lack of a front
differential.
Dress warm! No cotton, like
jeans, they absorb the water from the snow, and freeze your @$$
off. Snowboarding, skiing, or snow-mobiling gear is the best, but
if you haven't got access to the right stuff, dress in layers with
rain gear over the top. I usually run poly sweats under my riding
gear then rain gear. For the head, the helmet is great, with a
baklava and goggles; your face should stay warm, well warm enough.
Ski gloves with Gore-Tex work good, or snow-mobiling mittens are
the best for keeping the fingers warm, though they cut down on your
dexterity. Deal with it!
What to expect?
Well, if you are riding on trails where quads have been before, its
pretty easy, just get in the ruts and go for some slot car racing.
Breaking new ground? Have the biggest & badest ATV in front
plowing, a sometimes-slow chore, lean back and pull up the front
end on the higher stuff. Make sure to watch out for deep
snowdrifts, or down trees covered with snow, they tend to cause
major surprises! Stick to routs you know, or have been on when
there was no snow, then you wont get lost (as quickly) and freeze
to death. Freezing to death sucks!
Bring
water to rehydrate yourself, you would be surprised how much
work deep snow riding is. I keep mine in a Camel Back under my
cloths to keep it from freezing. Beer is a diuretic, it makes you
dehydrated, and you have to stop and pee more, not fun in the
cold.
Pay attention to your engine, if it is air-cooled, remove snow accumulations from the fins, or the radiator on water-cooled motors, you will overheat and engine quickly covered with snow, sounds funny huh, but the snow insulates the engine not allowing the heat to dissipate properly. Think about how and igloo works.
Be persistent, keep trying, you will
make it *. Pay attention to your gas level, know where you are
going, take a map and GPS, they help, things look different covered
in snow, and visibility is usually limited. Make sure you heater is
in good working order in your truck, you will need it! A good soak
in a hot tub after a ride like this is the best, if you lack a hot
tub, get one! (Or try a warm bath) Good luck to you all, and pull
the quads out of the garage in the winter, its fun!
Happy Trails,
Jarret
Gleason
*Results not guaranteed. Actual results may vary, you might not make it, search and rescue teams will find your frozen body months later. Maybe.
Traditionally my ATV recreation calendar
goes like this: Summers are spent in the sand at the Oregon Dunes,
fall, I hit the trails, winter, find some snow, spring, hit some
trails and dream about the sand, a vicious four seasons of nonstop
ATV recreation. In November I got invited by Bombardier to attend a
press release of the new Outlander, an opportunity to ride in the
snow, in real snow country at Bombardiers test facility two and a
half hours from Québec City, the Auberge du
Lac-à-l'Eau-Claire . We rode for 5 hours on un-groomed
snowmobile trails, in deep snow and the teeth chattering cold. I
loved it! Riding in the snow for extended periods of time is a real
test on machine and rider, who will give in first.
Back in Oregon, some of my friends and I occasionally go on a
"Blizzard Run", where we go and ride in a blizzard, man, that's
intense, its not too much fun, but finishing is great, I guess it's
the same mindset mountain climbers have, except we do it ATV style,
with a seat and a motor. We have had trips were, out of 8 quads,
only 2 made it to the last leg of the journey, with problems like
hypothermic (underdressed) riders, to broken drive-belts, blown
motors, broken cooling systems, crashing over the mountain, sheets
of ice (on a steep hill) and downed trees stop us from making it to
the top. Ok so we only made it to the top once during a blizzard
run (1 out of 14?).
I am going to pass on to you, my
friends, what I have learned about snow riding. Simple things, as
well as things to think about, so here they are:
The ATV- make sure its up to the test,
change the oil, check the cooling system, basically fix anything
that you would expect to break. Speaking of brakes, make sure the
brakes are up to par, going back down your brakes are the only
thing warm. BRING LOTS OF GAS!
Tires: you want real aggressive mud type tires, the
taller the better! Some of the tires I have had great snow trips on
were the Super Swampers, Realtors & ITP 589's that work the
best in deep snow.
2wd of 4wd? 4x4
is the best option here, though we have had some persistent riders
accompany us on 2wd quads, they fallow the 4wd 's who are plowing
and smoothing out the ruts. The 2wd ATV's low center of gravity is
the biggest downfall in deep snow, also the lack of a front
differential.
Dress warm! No cotton, like
jeans, they absorb the water from the snow, and freeze your @$$
off. Snowboarding, skiing, or snow-mobiling gear is the best, but
if you haven't got access to the right stuff, dress in layers with
rain gear over the top. I usually run poly sweats under my riding
gear then rain gear. For the head, the helmet is great, with a
baklava and goggles; your face should stay warm, well warm enough.
Ski gloves with Gore-Tex work good, or snow-mobiling mittens are
the best for keeping the fingers warm, though they cut down on your
dexterity. Deal with it!
What to expect?
Well, if you are riding on trails where quads have been before, its
pretty easy, just get in the ruts and go for some slot car racing.
Breaking new ground? Have the biggest & badest ATV in front
plowing, a sometimes-slow chore, lean back and pull up the front
end on the higher stuff. Make sure to watch out for deep
snowdrifts, or down trees covered with snow, they tend to cause
major surprises! Stick to routs you know, or have been on when
there was no snow, then you wont get lost (as quickly) and freeze
to death. Freezing to death sucks!
Bring
water to rehydrate yourself, you would be surprised how much
work deep snow riding is. I keep mine in a Camel Back under my
cloths to keep it from freezing. Beer is a diuretic, it makes you
dehydrated, and you have to stop and pee more, not fun in the
cold.Pay attention to your engine, if it is air-cooled, remove snow accumulations from the fins, or the radiator on water-cooled motors, you will overheat and engine quickly covered with snow, sounds funny huh, but the snow insulates the engine not allowing the heat to dissipate properly. Think about how and igloo works.
Be persistent, keep trying, you will
make it *. Pay attention to your gas level, know where you are
going, take a map and GPS, they help, things look different covered
in snow, and visibility is usually limited. Make sure you heater is
in good working order in your truck, you will need it! A good soak
in a hot tub after a ride like this is the best, if you lack a hot
tub, get one! (Or try a warm bath) Good luck to you all, and pull
the quads out of the garage in the winter, its fun!
Happy Trails,
Jarret
Gleason
*Results not guaranteed. Actual results may vary, you might not make it, search and rescue teams will find your frozen body months later. Maybe.
