So caught up in shredding the gnar and getting the next banger shot, we often forget about the simplest reward of snowmobiling: camaraderie. The winning photo for the month of January 2018 reminds us to stop, relax and be thankful for the people we share this amazing sport with.
Thank you Brenda Duval, the photographer, for entering this photo in our Hotshots contest, and congratulations on winning the Titan Airflow helmet from CKX Gear. Below, we ask Duval a few questions about her snowmobiling habits:
How did you get into snowmobiling?
I have always liked sledding. As a child, my father used to pull us behind his sled with a wood toboggan through the fields and trails in the forest. But it wasn’t until about five years ago that a friend of ours lent my husband and me a sled to try trail riding. After that, I was hooked.
What do you currently ride?
Last year, I purchased a 2016 Yamaha SR Viper trail edition.
Where do you usually ride?
I usually ride the trail that the Watt Mountain Wanderers have, which goes from High Level west to follow the trails northeast behind and over Watt Mountain. Just that trail is close to 130 kilometres of varied terrain and beautiful scenery. I will eventually try other trails south when I purchase a trailer to haul both our sleds.
What do you like most about snowmobiling?
The peace and quiet on the trail, the social aspect when travelling with friends for a rib night at one of our shelters and the fact that you can get away from the chaos of everyday life, even if it is just for a little while.
What keeps you busy in the summertime?
Trail maintenance, for one. But also I do a lot of woodworking, gardening, crafts and photography. Although it sounds like I rest, I keep pretty busy with all of this.
Tell us about the day you took this photo.
This is a family shot of friends participating in our annual poker rally last year. This was taken at the top of Watt Mountain at one of our warmup shelter checkpoints.
