Editor's Note: This story first appeared in the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association newsletter published by SnoRiders.
Do you remember your first snowmobile ride? I know I sure do—after all, it was only last month.
Before I started working at the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association, it wasn’t even something that was on my radar. I grew up in a small town so it wasn’t like the opportunity never presented itself. And part of me always did envy them, looking forward to the inevitable cold and snow that the rest of us dreaded. Like so many others, I just always thought. . . why? It’s cold, it’s expensive and who wants to ride around flat old Saskatchewan? But I stumbled into this job (as I seem to do with all things in my life) and thought it best that perhaps I stumble onto a snowmobile at least once—just for work.
I’ve ridden twice now, once in the Town of Hudson Bay and the other at the Provincial Snowmobile Festival in North Battleford (and found it’s surprisingly affordable). Words can’t properly express the feelings of exploration and awe that I felt as I travelled the trails, much the same way that a picture can never truly capture a moment. I entered the confines of Hudson Bay’s heavily forested trails, weaving back and forth through the greenery until at last I burst unexpectedly into a massive valley, home to a sky that would swallow you up whole. It’s something I’ve never experienced, and never would have had it not been for snowmobiling.
North Battleford offered something different—an experience completely unique from that of my previous ride: an azure blue sky guiding us across a homey, hilly, backcountry playground that felt just so perfectly prairie as you pushed through the fresh powder. There was also a little bit more room for me to get acquainted with the throttle (always under 80 kilometres, of course), which I quite enjoyed.
Snowmobiling means something different to everyone, and for me it’s a sense of discovery. With how equally enjoyable these two completely different adventures were, I can’t help but feel blessed to be living in a province that offers so much diversity, so much beauty. I think we all at some point or another, regardless of where we are from, become numb to our surroundings. We slowly fade into the backgrounds of our homeland and start to miss the blessings sitting all around us. With this job, my first couple rides and the overwhelming support that’s come from every facet of the snowmobiling community, I’ve been offered a new perspective. These sights and experiences were here all along, but until I rode a snowmobile I hadn’t thought to look. This province—our home—is so much more than flat.
I’ll never forget my first snowmobile ride.
