Well, I suppose it had to happend sometime. We have a couple of inches of snow and the die-hards are already trying out their new sleds. While we’ve only had about three inches here at Macks Inn, up on Black Canyon they have nearly a foot.
You can ride in a foot of snow as long as you’re darn sure there’s no hidden obstacles to reach out and mangle your undercarriage. So what that means is, if you’re willing to ride nothing but roads, you can ride. If you get off the road at all, you’re going to have a mess.
Last year (kind of pre-winter) I saw a guy at the gas station there at Elk Creek who had just come from the dealer in West Yellowstone. The repair bill on his sled was nearly $4,000. There was precious little snow and he decided to do a wowie on the bank where the road had been carved out. He hit a big rock (apparently disguised as a sagebush) and tore the whole bottom out of his sled.
So if you’re thinking about coming and trying out your new sled, don’t. There isn’t enough snow yet. We’ll let you know the minute there is, but right now the risk is too high. If you just can’t stand the thought that someone got to the snow before you, make sure you never leave the road (or trail.) See you soon!!
