Learn To Snowmobile
Can’t ski, snowboard or climb ice, but still seek a winter adrenaline rush? Look no further than snowmobiling. Even for the unskilled and unfit it’s a thrill with a short learning curve. But don’t skip school. Snowmobiles are heavy, fast and tricky to control, so start with lessons from guides at an expansive groomed trail system. Fortunately, there are many.
Snowmobiles have familiar handlebar steering with a throttle and brake control. What you need to learn is to stabilize the machine with your body weight by leaning on turns. Getting up to speed involves recognizing that brakes on a snowmobile are not nearly as responsive as on other vehicles. Of the two types of machines, mountain models are higher performance for deep powder and rugged wilderness. But you should learn on a more comfortable, user-friendly trail model.
Top snowmobiling destinations range from the Northeast to the Rockies and the Midwest, where the sport is incredibly popular. Eagle River, Wisconsin, the “Snowmobile Capital of the World,” repeatedly ranks No. 1 for trails, service, catering to families, you name it, they’ve won it. There are over 500-miles of well-marked and maintained trails. Many trailside lodgings have on-site rentals, including Point of View Lake Resort and Northwoods Resorts.
Colorado’s 180-mile Sunlight to Powderhorn trail system runs atop the stunning Grand Mesa. It’s accessed from Grand Junction, where you can stay at the snowmobile-centric Grand Mesa resort with onsite rentals and guided daily tours or choose a hipper urban boutique hotel such as the Melrose and take guided tours with Adrenaline Driven Adventures.
Perhaps no hotel is as synonymous with snowmobiling as Wyoming’s Togwotee Mountain Lodge, near both Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park, with over 600 miles of trails—and a more than 500-inch annual snowfall. It offers onsite rentals, guides and trips for four skill levels from first-timer to extreme off-trail tours.
The Brainerd Lakes region of Minnesota is near the Twin Cities, with a stunning 1,200 miles of trails, many on flat frozen lakes, perfect both for beginners and for going really fast. Cragun’s is a long-established, four-season family resort with its own high-end rental fleet.
Rentals usually include a helmet and sometimes a zip-up oversuit, but dress warmer than you’d think, including insulated boots and heavy gloves.
