Randy Vogel began sledding one weekend when a colleague in the construction industry (groomer operator Laurie Ranestad) invited him to give it a try. After a weekend bundled up in his downhill skiing gear, riding a borrowed ’98 Polaris 600 RMK—affectionately known as Frankensled—Randy was hooked.
The next time Randy went out, he rented a sled for his wife, Shauna, and a sledding family was born. The Vogels bought their first sleds, a 600 Ski-Doo and a 550 fan-cooled Ski-Doo, in 2004 and became part of the Kakwa winter camping community.
From then on, the Vogel boys, Randy and his son, Waylan, planned their winters around snowmobiling. The Vogels partnered up with the Ranestad gang to share a winter camp and thrilled in learning how to sled in the area’s challenging terrain. Randy quickly became the kind of sledder who always jumped in to help get buddies unstuck, encouraged green riders to keep trying and made sure camp was a welcome place for everyone to be.
Throughout the years, Randy became known by all who passed through camp for his sense of humour. His “Randy-isms” are legendary with his friends and family and were guaranteed to bring smiles and laughter in every situation.
Randy and Waylan were great friends. There are very few weekends that anyone can remember Randy being out sledding in Kakwa without his son. Family time was extremely important to Randy, so having his wife and his son by his side made him extremely proud. He truly enjoyed showing Shauna all of the places where he and Waylan had been and seeing her skills improve. Together, they encouraged Waylan’s love of snowmobiling, and today he has the skills to go anywhere safely.
Safety was important to Randy. The family participated in avalanche safety training courses, earning their AST Level 1 certifications. Randy was choosey about the people with whom they rode, and tried to ensure that other members of their riding groups also had certification.
Years of camping, sledding and watching out for each other’s loved ones forged a strong bond between Randy and the guy who brought sledding into his life. Together, Laurie and Randy spent endless hours grooming trails for the Swan City Snowmobile Club, working on their sleds, maintaining camp, snowshoeing new trails and scheming to turn everyone they knew into snowmobilers.
To say Randy will be missed is a gross understatement. He never knew a stranger. Once he shook your hand, he considered you family. His generosity and kindness were his trademark and something we can all aspire to. Sled on, Randy.
SnoRiders would like to extend our sincere condolences to the friends and family of Randy Vogel.
