How long have you been sledding?
Since I was a kid growing up in Ontario. My father and even my grandfather rode snowmobiles—it was a family thing.
What was your first sled?
My first sled was a 1974 TNT340 by Ski-Doo, and now I ride a 2012 Arctic Cat M8 Sno Pro. I like it because it’s great for my style of riding. Once we get on the mountain I like to ride in the trees, where it’s more demanding physically. That makes a good day for me. The Sno Pro has great manoeuvrability and the stock power is good; I haven’t had to do any upgrades, so it hasn’t cost me anything extra.
It sounds like you get a pretty good workout when you’re riding, right?
Sure do. Most snowmobiles weigh in at 450 to 600 pounds. Riding is pretty physical, especially if you get stuck!
Is there an area that you’ve heard about where you’d like to ride in the future?
I hear there’s really good riding in Utah and Washington and around Priest Lake in northern Idaho, and I’d like to check out those areas some day.
Do you have a favourite local trail?
Frisby Ridge is my favourite area to ride. You can venture down into the trees, but the views from the ridge are incredible—you can see way out across the Selkirks and the Monashees, and the ridge takes you about 25 kilometres along to a nice viewpoint where you can look up and down the Columbia Valley.
I’ve had fun sledding with friends around Golden and Sicamous, but with so much great riding right out my door, I just ride Frisby Ridge or Boulder Mountain or I go to McRae or other areas close by. There’s enough variety that you can have a good day anywhere around here.
