'Bilin...'

Brenda doing something different.

I haven't ridden a sled for many years now.

Back in the day, during those long Fort     MacMurray winter days of 30 below zero, we used to go out quite regularly, mostly with a group of 3 or more.

Out there a breakdown could mean a very long walk or being stranded and pretty sure of not living to tell the tale.

Lots of open fields between the trees.

That was trail riding through cut lines, frozen streams and rivers and forest.  Some days we'd ride a hundred miles or more, carrying extra belts, plugs, rope, and crazy carpets*.  There were no groomers, signage or autobahn smooth trail.  Nope... we broke it ourselves much of the time.

The machines were fragile with small fuel capacities, and prone to breakdown.  Most often starting was strictly recoil rope and the odd time the thing would break, which necessitated taking apart the mechanisms and re-attaching the handle, with frozen fingers!  

My digs.

It wasn't unusual to have to change plugs which would sometimes foul if you left your fan cooled engine idling too long.

Like most everything else, the machinery improved, our gear got better and we worried less.

Once moved to Calgary, my riding required transport to a designated zone.  No more taking off from the shop or house and heading out into the bush.

Diesel, our part time dog.

It could be a couple of hours or more before you would unload fire up and go.

The terrain became steeper, the powder deeper and the highs, higher.

Riding the Rockies was terrifying at times.  Every year riders are killed in avalanches and of course the cost of travel became prohibitive for me.  Working for someone else in a shop left little spare time and change in the pocket.

Pretty cool huh :)

One of the things I have always thought of before the move back to the Island, was the fun we had traveling around here on Enticers or Phazers or Trappers.  

Gerard** and I would meet up at Brookvale, midway between my Charlottetown store and Miscouche (Summerside).

Others times Rob and I would load up a couple of Bravo Trappers and putter around amongst the back roads that weren't typically plowed, or across field and streams. 

Powder!

     This is how we came across Toronto PEI, Alaska and Skinner's Pond.  All my shops had their pic of demo sleds for the guys to ride, we at our shop normally would pick a small lightweight long track.  I left the fast stuff to the other guys.

Now that I have moved here permanently (well near as I can tell :) I wasted no time in finding us a suitable snowmobile.  Much of what is selling here are far too fast and costly to run (easy to blow $50 of fuel in a day)

Just me.

I was looking for something I could manhandle if I got stuck (which I have already) with a long track for better flotation and a simple engine.

The Indy Lite is 340cc, fan cooled, has a tall windshield and besides being economical to operate, has an electric starter!  When I'm feeling frisky... I use the rope.

As you can see... I'm still smiling!


*When all else fails, you tie the thing under your sled and get a tow.
** Gerard was my C'Town store manager when we first opened up.  He went through the ice one winter and was killed.  RIP Gerard.