Mountain Sledder Magazine Issue 20 Part I

CONTENTS

10 YEARS

A lot has changed in the ten years Mountain Sledder has been in publication.

We take a look back at some of the notable developments that have occurred in mountain sledding since our first issue was printed back in 2012.

RUBBING ELBOWS

Two qualities of a great teacher are a perfect understanding of the subject matter and the ability to communicate it to others in a way they can understand. When it comes to the expertise of riding a snowmobile, Brett Turcotte’s mastery of the subject matter is undeniable. But his ability to inspire others to progress in their own riding might be just as strong.

TO YUKON AND ALASKA ON A WHIM BY CODY MCNOLTY

With many riding areas in Alaska staging from remote trailheads, a backcountry riding trip there requires a lot of planning and preparation. Or at least, it should.

Author Cody McNolty and a tight crew of shredders from Lower Mainland, BC take the long road north on the helpful promise of one man, to seek out new terrain and new friendships.

IGNITION 12 WARMUP

16 TRAILHEAD

BCSF SNOWMOBILE INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

MTN.TOP SNOWBIKES LAUNCHED

FIVE WOMEN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR SPORT

26

MOUNTAIN SAFETY

A DECADE LONG FOCUS ON SLEDDERS

In the last ten years, Avalanche Canada has made huge strides on behalf of snowmobilers with improved access to education, tailored training materials and expanded forecasting services—all for the sake of sledders.

30 RIDING TIP

SIDE PANEL RE-ENTRIES WITH ANDREAS BERGMARK

An airborne progression of the basic re-entry can add a challenge and some white room fun to your backcountry ride.

70 EXPOSURE

80 TAILGATE

THE FUTURE OF RIDING

A predictive look at what might be a typical ride in the not-too-distant future.

84 SEND IT

PHOTO: ANETT MESZAROS @amtopmphotography

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Patrick Winslow

GRAPHIC DESIGN Mark Ryan

COPY EDITOR Steve Crowe

PUBLISHER Mountain Sledder Media

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Marty Anderson, Brooke Astells, Andreas Bergmark, Zac Cadot, Mary Clayton, Jessica Joy, Nicole Matei, Cody McNolty, Allan Sawchuck, Billy Stevens, Samantha Todd, Donegal Wilson

DISTRIBUTION

Mountain Sledder magazine (MS) is published once a year (October) and can be found at powersports shops and on newsstands throughout Canada.

CONTRIBUTIONS

PHOTOGRAPHERS Rob Alford, Travis Alley, Justin Befu, Ben Birk, Brian Brown, Zac Cadot, Lindsay Donovan, Jason Fentiman, Martina Halik, Alex Hanson, Clyde Hewitt, Steven Marlenee, Anett Meszaros, Andrew Munster, Mike Reeve, Allan Sawchuck, Steve Shannon, Billy Stevens, Daniel Stewart, Andrew Turner, Todd Williams, Patrick Winslow

CONTRIBUTING

Mountain Sledder magazine is not responsible for unsolicited contributions. MS retains all rights on material published in MS for a period of 12 months after publication and reprint rights after that period expires. Submission inquiries can be sent to: info@sleddermag.com

MOUNTAIN SLEDDER

802 9 St N, Golden, BC V0A 1H2 250.344.3645 info@sleddermag.com

ADVERTISING SALES Jessica Joy

@sleddermag

ON THE COVER

”Sundays are for photos!” my friend Jamie always says. Lately, my day job has me in Valemount, BC, but I do the majority of my riding in Blue River. Sundays off work are usually spent chasing Jaime Iwaschuk and Liam Dhillon around this powder playground. This photo was captured on one of those Sundays. It was still pretty early in the season but we had a great base and fresh snow. As we worked our way up the zone, the views opened up and I spotted a snow loaded wind lip with a great background of the valley and mountains beyond.

Liam’s own snowmobile was in the shop, but his dealer had loaned him this demo Lynx. It didn’t take him long to get comfortable on the Lynx and put it through its paces.

This turned out to be one of my favourite rides of the year with lots of laughs, good fun and great conditions. Remember, it’s a snowy playground out there—just have fun!

PHOTO: ZAC CADOT @zac_oh RIDER: LIAM DHILLON @liamdhillon

© Copyright, Mountain Sledder 2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any materials published in MS is expressly forbidden without the written consent of the publisher.

WE’RE STILL HERE

WELCOME TO THE 10 TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE OF MOUNTAIN SLEDDER MAGAZINE!

When the vision of this magazine was first dreamed up, no one knew if it would succeed or how long it would last. But the time was ripe with the growth of mountain sledding in 2012, and no magazine was publishing mountain sledder culture stories in the beautiful, visual way we envisioned. Mountain Sledder grew to fill that void.

The direction of our content has evolved a little over the last ten years as we’ve matured, but not that much. We’re still telling the stories of people who live the mountain sledder lifestyle, and we have no plans to change.

There have been some epic challenges along the way, not the least of which has been navigating the shift to digital publishing platforms.

The explosion of social media has been a blessing and a curse. It’s easier now than ever to share our stories with a broader audience—but quantity trumps quality on social media, and it is just as easy to become lost in the noise.

The biggest obstacle in delivering what you now hold in your hands—one that we are forced to reconsider annually—is the ever increasing cost of printing and shipping our magazine. This hurdle, perhaps more than any other, has compelled many beautiful, high-quality outdoors lifestyle print publications to close up shop in recent years.

But with every challenge comes an opportunity, and this is a celebration, not a sob story.

WE’RE STILL HERE.

That’s thanks to the unwavering support of readers like you, and our advertising partners who keep us going. Thank you.

We still love doing this. It’s a challenge, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. We’re living the dream—riding sleds, meeting amazing people and exploring new places. And we continue to feel that there is real value in something you can hold in your hands and cherish for a moment or two. It’s all worth it.

See you next year.

RIDER: ANDREAS BERGMARK @andreas_bergmark

and sharing moments like this is what keeps us going.

This shot was taken at Julie-Ann Chapman’s annual birthday party ride. There were about 12 of us from all over Western Canada riding at one of our local Nelson, BC sledding areas. Our pilot friend Josh had wanted to fly in to say ‘hi’ and join us for lunch. The conditions weren’t ideal for flying but at one point there was a window in the weather, so we called him up. Josh flew in and landed on a frozen lake to meet us, making Julie-Ann’s birthday celebration a little more special.”

– Billy

PHOTO: BILLY STEVENS @skid1

PHOTO: ALLAN SAWCHUCK @sledhead777

RIDER: CARTER SAWCHUCK @carter_sawchuck

“Clear riding days are few and far between on the West Coast, and we often struggle with a lack of good lighting for photos. To add some light and depth to our photos on dark days, my son Carter and I have been experimenting with using remote flashes. For this shot, we placed one flash behind the waterfall for some backlight, and a second in front of where Carter planned to make a re-entry. Experimenting with flash lighting has been a great learning experience for both of us, and Carter’s riding has improved a ton throughout the process.”

– Allan

BCSF SNOWMOBILE INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND WAS CREATED TO SUPPORT ONGOING INVESTMENT IN CLUBS TO GROW SNOWMOBILE OPPORTUNITIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

The British Columbia Snowmobile Federation recently announced a massive new snowmobile infrastructure fund accessible to its 60-member organizations in support of local recreation projects.

This new source of funding for local organizations will be an important supplement to traditional funding models that have historically limited what BC snowmobile clubs can do with their dollars.

Under the terms of the legally required partnership agreements between BC snowmobile clubs and the provincial government, snowmobile clubs are permitted to collect set day-use fee amounts that are determined strictly on a cost recovery basis for services provided to the public—such as parking lot snow removal, signage and trail maintenance.

Within this system, there is no provision for the purchase of trail grooming equipment, large-scale capital improvements such as the replacement of aging warming shelters or to set aside funds for environmental and economic swings. Volunteerbased recreation clubs have historically relied on fundraising, a small handful of available grants and surplus revenue from membership sales to support these capital intensive efforts.

BY NICOLE MATEI

Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd and Mackenzie snowmobile clubs, which have been greatly impacted by winter motorized closures (shown in red), were the first to receive funding from the initiative.

Map Data: Google Earth, Landsat / Copernicus

The first BC snowmobile clubs to benefit from the program are a handful in the South Peace region including Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd and Mackenzie. The provincial government provided an initial outlay of $330,000 as part of the Cariboo Recovery Program for those clubs impacted by the recent winter motorized closure decision there. The funds will be used to improve access, parking, trails, grooming and other associated snowmobile infrastructure in areas that remain open to riders.

Moving forward, BCSF President Peter Doyle said, “It is our vision that the BCSF Snowmobile Infrastructure Program will continue to grow with new partners and continuing investment to support our clubs across BC.”

He continued, “We know that snowmobile tourism is driven by quality trails that have ample parking, maps, trails that are clearly signed, emergency shelters to warm up in and smooth trails that are freshly groomed. This fund was established to support snowmobile clubs in investing strategically together to grow our snowmobile opportunities in BC.”

Snowmobile Federation

The Pine Valley Trail Blazers Snowmobile Club of Chetwynd, BC, is one of three South Peace region snowmobile clubs to benefit from the new Infrastructure Fund, to help offset the loss of riding area closed as a result of a recent mountain caribou recovery decision.

“

This fund was established to support snowmobile clubs in investing strategically together to grow our snowmobile opportunities in BC.”

– Peter Doyle, British Columbia

President

PHOTOS: MARTINA HALIK @raveneyephotography

RIDER: BEN HAWKINS

The Rocky Mountain Riders Snowmobile Club of Mackenzie, BC, is among the first clubs to benefit from the fund. The Morfee riding area, pictured, is one of the Mackenzie areas that remains open for snowmobiling.

MTN.TOP SNOWBIKES

TIMBERSLED FOUNDER ALLAN MANGUM LAUNCHES NEW SNOWBIKE COMPANY

BY BROOKE ASTELLS

Most people know Allen Mangum as the founder of Timbersled, one of the first companies to develop snowbike conversion kits. In 2015, Mangum sold Timbersled to Polaris and continued to work for the company on a five-year contract.

When his contract with Polaris ended in 2020, Mangum was left wondering what his next career move should be.

“I was sitting there thinking: what do I do next?” says Magnum. “I was 36 when I sold Timbersled, and I’m not ready to retire yet—I’m the type of person who needs to stay busy.”

The idea of starting up a new snowbike manufacturing company wasn’t planned, he says. But after some soul searching, Mangum, whose deepest passion lies within the snow industry, realized that the natural progression for him was to start over with a new project.

ASSEMBLING A TEAM

Mangum’s first choice for the position of General Manager of the new company was Rush Corder. Corder has been part of the snowbike world for over a decade, and is an avid rider and technical ambassador for the sport.

The timing couldn’t have been better for Corder to join Mangum, as he had recently resigned as the head of IT at a healthcare facility.

“I wanted to do something that I loved doing, not just something that I was good at doing,” says Corder, about his decision to pursue a new opportunity.

With a strong team in place, Mtn.Top Snowbikes was born.

MTN.TOP SNOWBIKES

Mtn.Top Snowbikes headquarters is located in Idaho, and all components will be manufactured in the US and Canada.

The company’s first offering will be the Mtn.Top XFR 129 Snowbike kit (pronounced “Transfer 129”).

“

From a distance it looks [familiar] but up close you will realize that it is all different for a reason. I am not experimenting here; everything on it has a specific purpose that fulfills a bucket-list of things needed to build the most functional snowbike kit.”

– Allan Mangum

When asked about the appearance of the new snowbike kit, Mangum points out, “From a distance it looks [familiar] but up close you will realize that it is all different for a reason. I am not experimenting here; everything on it has a specific purpose that fulfills a bucket-list of things needed to build the most functional snowbike kit.”

The XFR 129 improves on the most basic rider needs, Mangum says. The developer asserts the XFR 129 to be “more comfortable to ride, less fatiguing, with much lighter feeling steering and overall more compliant, thus making it easier to ride.”

Corder adds, “This one model will be capable of handling everything from deep snow performance all the way to the trail. In fact, it has better trail mannerisms than anything we have seen before.”

He points out that the XFR 129 can be configured by the end user to “adjust to their riding preferences, from athletic agility to extreme mountain climbing; it truly is a onekit-fits-all.”

ELECTRIFIED PROTECTION

Since 1980 it has been our goal to protect mountaineers. With our electric airbag system, we are presenting a new milestone in avalanche safety.

LIGHTWEIGHT | ELECTRIC | VERSATILE

PHOTOS: MARLENEE PHOTOGRAPHY @marleneesteven

MTN.TOP XFR 129 SNOWBIKE SPECIFICATIONS

> 129” X 12” X 2.5” TRACK

> 11-1/4” (28.6 CM) WIDE “LIVE KEEL” SKI

> 110 LB (50 KG) REAR WEIGHT, INCLUDING ALL INSTALLATION PARTS

> 19 LB (8.6 KG) FRONT WEIGHT, INCLUDING SKI, SPINDLE & FORK GUARDS

> 37” (94 CM) SEAT HEIGHT, ADJUSTABLE DOWN TO 34” (86 CM) WITH ACCESSORY

> KITS INCLUDE ALL PARTS TO INSTALL, NO FITMENT PARTS REQUIRED

> FULL LINE OF CARGO, TRANSPORT AND UPGRADE ACCESSORIES AVAILABLE

XFR 129 kits will be available as early as October 2022 through a small dealer network.

With regards to the company’s distribution strategy, Corder says, “we are focusing on dealers who make their living with snowbikes in the wintertime and who will provide personalized service that makes our customers feel like they are buying into a family of snowbikers.”

Mangum agrees: “It is important that everybody who we work with, including dealers, are like-minded people. Relationships ensure the quality of business that I want. It will also keep the fun factor up, which is the number one driving force behind a business like this. If we aren’t having fun, then we are failing,” said Mangum.

When asked about the timing of this new venture, Corder admits, “It is arguably the worst time in recent history to start a new company, but we believe in ourselves and we believe in our vision. That is how I know we will succeed.”

BE MOVED.

Are you ready to be in your ultimate element? Pick your line, or trail for a legendary ride. Enjoy epic powder, see spectacular views, alpine and wide-open spaces. With three mountain ranges Cariboo, Monashee and Rocky Mountains, get prepared, and plan your next sledding trip to Valemount, BC. Choose your adventure from the many trails, alpine and backcountry wilderness areas. Know Before You Go, and come visit and ride in Valemount, BC.

www.visitvalemount.ca

www.ridevalemount.ca

#VisitValemountBC

THE JOURNEY FROM HERE

FIVE WOMEN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR SPORT

The face of our sport is changing. Somewhere between 12-30% of today’s riders are now women, bringing unique perspectives and skills to one of British Columbia’s most important tourism and recreation sectors.

Here are five women shifting attitudes and ideas about snowmobiling in our province.

DONEGAL WILSON THE MOTHERSHIP

BY SAMANTHA TODD

NICOLE MATEI TOGETHER IS A GREAT PLACE TO BE

The tourism industry is a key driver of economic success in BC, and one that is growing faster than the economy as a whole. Welcome LetsRideBC—the official snowmobile tourism partner of Destination BC.

The BC Snowmobile Federation has been the voice for organized snowmobiling since 1965. What began as a social group for racers has grown into a federation of 60 snowmobile clubs, and is today considered the largest manager of public recreation sites outside of BC Parks.

At the helm is Executive Director Donegal Wilson, whose steady and competent leadership is safeguarding a bright future for snowmobiling and providing a lifeboat for clubs during stormy seas.

The BCSF leads efforts in the province to protect riding areas, promote safety and stewardship, and bridge strategic partnerships that enhance our sport. While clubs carry out day-to-day operations on the ground, it is the BCSF framework that supports them through membership administration, programming and marketing, insurance and funding co-ops, safety and stewardship initiatives, best practices resources and communication with the government.

In her dual role as Program and Marketing Coordinator for the BC Snowmobile Federation and LetsRideBC, Nicole Matei’s mission is to build resources for sledders while simultaneously showcasing to government and community stakeholders that snowmobiling is a meaningful, sustainable and economically beneficial industry worth getting behind.

Launched last winter, the brand has already completed a number of significant contributions to sledding, including: a BC Provincial Snowmobile Trail Map that features live closure and grooming updates; ride guide videos for nearly every zone in BC; and the new visually stunning Iconic BC Road Trip series, helping riders explore their own backyards in new ways.

KYRA CASORSO LIGHTING THE SPARK

Organized snowmobiling was born on the backs of our grandparents’ generation. They gave time, shared their passion and gained purpose from getting together to create riding opportunities for others.

Today, while rider numbers skyrocket, volunteerism and engagement are on the decline. But some riders, like Kyra Casorso, continue to give and share their passion like their parents and grandparents did before.

Sledding is in Kyra’s blood. Her grandfather was a founding member of the Kelowna Snowmobile Club. Her father was also a very active member, bringing Kyra along to events and meetings. For Kyra, sledding has always been a family affair, and a legacy she now passes on to her daughters with pride.

Kyra Casorso is the recipient of the BCSF 2021 Snowmobiler of the Year award, and one of the driving forces behind Enderby, BC’s Hunters Range Snowmobile Club—the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations’ 2021 Snowmobile Club of the Year.

Kyra posts updates regularly on social media shedding light on the work happening behind the scenes to keep the club running. She also organizes women’s rides and fundraisers. Her goal is to create a spark in the minds of others about what it means to be an active and contributing member of the snowmobiling community.

JENNIFER COULTER SHARING IS CARING

Salt and pepper-haired sledders may remember when avalanche bulletins were issued by fax and posted at skis shops rather than delivered to our phone or laptop like they are today. It was a topdown approach full of technical jargon that missed the mark with the emerging snowmobile industry.

In 2008, after a significant avalanche event near Fernie took the lives of eight snowmobilers, it became clear that more should be done to keep the sledding community safe. Jennifer Coulter responded to that accident as a Search and Rescue technician and was deeply affected by the incident. When the Avalanche Canada South Rockies Field Team was established in 2009, she knew it was an opportunity to make a difference.

The South Rockies Field Team’s mission is to increase outreach with backcountry users while collecting snowpack and weather information for the forecasting team in Revelstoke. In her role, Jennifer revolutionized how sledders use social media to stay safe in the backcountry, although she certainly won’t take credit for all the work.

Nearly every day during the season, field teams generate social media content and Mountain Information Network posts that make learning about avalanche safety fun while spreading critical information about what they are seeing in the backcountry. The content is approachable, often humorous and is breaking down walls between the technical avalanche world and everyday riders. This season, Jennifer moves into a new role as Field Program Supervisor, responsible for all six of the Avalanche Canada field teams and their continuing efforts to make avalanche safety fun and accessible.

DONNA BARNETT FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

Donna Barnett is the latest inductee to the BCSF’s distinguished lifetime achievement award roster for her work supporting snowmobiling as a key player in rural economic development. In her numerous government roles over the years, Donna knocked on doors and pounded parliamentary desks on behalf of snowmobiling.

Donna worked on various projects including the creation of the Gold Rush Snowmobile Trail. Considered one of the premier riding experiences in North America, the 463 km long trail heads north from 70 Mile House to Wells and beyond, linking several Northern BC communities and businesses.

Snowmobiling isn’t what it was, but neither is the world. What if more riders rationed a little of their time, energy and resources to support organized snowmobiling efforts?

These women are making a start by showcasing to the world—through a new lens—what snowmobiling has to offer, so that others may see, hear and value sledding as much as riders do.

A Decade Long Focus on

SLEDDERS

Right around the time when the vision of Mountain Sledder magazine was first coming to life, there was a shift underway at our national public avalanche safety organization, Avalanche Canada (then known as the Canadian Avalanche Centre).

The number of snowmobilers accessing the mountains had steadily increased in recent years, and with it a disproportionately high rate of avalanche involvements, including fatalities.

Avalanche Canada staff, many of whom at the time came from a ski background, recognized the need to understand how the snowmobiler’s approach to the backcountry is different, and to address the high rate of incidents within our community of riders.

Since that time, Avalanche Canada has accomplished so much by improving access to education, tailoring training materials specifically for the habits of the sledder and further expanding invaluable forecasting services to many more snowmobiling regions.

Avalanche Canada—thanks for all you’ve done! –

MS

BY MARY CLAYTON, AVALANCHE CANADA IMAGES COURTESY OF AVALANCHE CANADA

Ten years of something good is worth celebrating.

Avalanche Canada is happy to join the ranks of other Mountain Sledder readers to say a big congratulations for a decade of dedication to producing a great magazine. Right out of the gate, this publication set a high bar for its look and content, and we’ve always appreciated the commitment to making avalanche safety part of the conversation.

Looking back over the same ten years, it’s instructive to see how far Avalanche Canada has come in our programs working with mountain sledders.

PHOTO: MARTINA HALIK @ raveneyephotography

AVALANCHE CANADA FOCUSES EFFORTS ON SLEDDERS

Back in 2012, we had just launched a three-year project aimed at expanding and improving our snowmobile-specific services. Thanks to this federally funded initiative, we were able to focus our efforts on developing new materials and resources and building technical expertise within the snowmobiling community.

That three-year project got a lot done. Subsidized AST courses for sledders were held in the South and North Rockies, and bursaries were granted to snowmobilers for professional-level training. We created the position of a snowmobile program coordinator who attended and presented at snowmobile shows and conferences in Western Canada and the US. We also collaborated with the Alberta Snowmobile Association to put up billboards advertising avalanche safety on major westbound highways into BC.

And, of course, we made Throttle Decisions. Many readers will be familiar with this video series, highlighting many of the top riders of the time delivering sled-specific avalanche safety lessons, backed up by hard-driving, heavy-metal music. While the soundtrack maybe hasn’t aged so well, the message remains timeless. Throttle Decisions was a big hit for many years, and we were proud to hand out thousands of DVDs. In fact, we still use the footage today to create outreach material.

In 2012, we were also in the middle of a four-year project to map all of BC’s provincially managed snowmobile areas using the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES), which rates the landscape by its potential to produce avalanches. These maps are familiar to all backcountry users today, but back in 2012 the process of rating terrain was an exciting development. By the end of 2014, all of BC’s managed sled areas were fully mapped, and we were able to deliver another tool to help keep sledders safe in the mountains.

It’s interesting to look back and consider how much our own sled use has increased over the past ten years. Our forecasting model is based on a centralized team analyzing data submitted by third parties. The winter of 2011-12 marked an evolution in that model, when we deployed our first field teams in the South Rockies of BC/Alberta and in the Yukon. These teams relied on snowmobiles to collect weather, snowpack and avalanche observation data in their regions, which was then submitted to our central forecasting team to help develop the local forecasts.

That year, we were grateful to BRP for loaning us a mountain sled, and to Yamaha for facilitating our purchase of one. Snowmobiles were crucial to the success of our field teams, so we very much appreciated the long-time support of the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association. ISMA enabled a ‘loaner sled’ program from all four major manufacturers for many years. It’s fair to say that without ISMA’s help, the growth of our field teams would have been significantly limited.

We were also grateful to the support and fundraising efforts from many individual sled clubs, including Revelstoke, Crowfoot Mountain, Fernie, Blue River, Coquihalla, Merritt, Enderby, Smithers, Grande Prairie and Valemount. Team Thunderstruck was also a great supporter, targeting us in their consistently successful annual fundraisers. Our relationships with the BC Snowmobile Federation, the Alberta Snowmobile Association and the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association are very important as well, and we’ve appreciated their guidance and input.

Generous support for our programs came from many different corners of the snowmobiling community over this past decade. The district of Tumbler Ridge donated a decommissioned truck from their fire department, and a resident of Tumbler Ridge donated a custom-built sled trailer in memory of a friend who had died in an avalanche. In Grande Prairie, three dedicated mountain sledders organized fundraisers to help us improve the safety program in their area. And in 2018, we received two brand new sleds to help us in our operations, each donated by groups in the snowmobiling community that wanted to make a difference. The retail value of those sleds was almost $35,000, but the value to our field programs was immeasurable.

Avalanche Canada Snowmobile Outreach Coordinator, Brent Strand, spreading the good word at the Sask Snow Show.

Avalanche Canada’s Trip Planner allows sledders to easily plan rides with terrain that is appropriate for the current avalanche hazard. Shown is the ATES rating map for Boulder Mountain, near Revelstoke.

Riders knew we were facing many growth issues over the 2010s. The need for our services was exploding, along with the use of the winter backcountry, but lack of stable funding meant we struggled to keep up. The North Rockies region was the poster child for that struggle, and one of our top priorities for many years. With its large user base, a history of fatalities and a lack of data to create a forecast, this region was too often a perfect storm of tragedy.

We used a variety of tactics to do what we could for backcountry users in the North Rockies, and in northern BC in general. The Mountain Information Network (MIN) was launched in 2014, allowing backcountry users to share real-time observations. One of our early projects was the Hot Zone Reports. These were issued when we had sufficient MIN data, along with other information from our emerging snowpack modelling program. These site-specific reports contained critical snowpack and weather information, along with general risk management advice.

Throughout the season, any backcountry user can contribute to or access the MIN snowpack and avalanche reports that can easily be found on the Avalanche Canada app or website.

Finally, in 2020, we received a one-time grant from the federal government that allowed us to make a significant expansion. We re-established a field team in the Yukon (which had gone dormant due to lack of funding) and established a new team in the North Rockies. Today we provide daily forecasts for both these regions, something we could have only dreamed of ten years ago.

In 2021, the Government of BC announced funding that allowed us to expand our field team program again, establishing new teams on Vancouver Island and in Smithers, BC. We now have six field teams—five based in BC and one in Newfoundland—and each team uses mountain sleds in their daily operations.

We could not have predicted just how much our sled use would increase over these past ten years or how strongly our ties to the snowmobiling community would grow. We now own a fleet of mountain sleds, trucks and sled decks, and snowmobiling skills are an essential ability for field teams and forecasters. Our teams logged close to 1200 days on snowmobiles last winter, and much of our social media content highlights our sled use.

Effective engagement with the sledding community is one of our top priorities. We have had a snowmobile outreach coordinator since 2011 and we’ve had a snowmobile committee since 2009. We are grateful for the input we receive through these channels, which continually helps shape and focus our programs to better serve sledders.

It’s been quite the ride! We like to think we’ve aged as well as this magazine; and just like Mountain Sledder, we’re looking forward to the next decade of adventure.

Field teams use sleds daily to access backcountry terrain for their weather, snowpack and avalanche observations reporting.

Daily avalanche forecasts are key to helping riders understand the avalanche hazard in data-sparse regions like the North Rockies and Yukon.

Effective engagement with the sledding community is one of our top priorities.

ALBERTA

Acheson

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Mountain’s Edge Cycle & Sled

403.638.3885

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Authorized CANADIAN DEALERS

Swan Hills

Wilderness Playground Tours

780.333.2800 swanhillssledfixer.com

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Campbell River

Seymour Services

250.287.3505 seymourservices.ca

Fernie

Ghostrider Motorsports

250.785.8125 ghostridermotorsports.com

Fort St. John

Fast Trax 250.787.1930 fasttrax.ca

FSJ Hi-Performance Motor Sports

250.787.1930 fsjhi-performance.com

Golden

Avalanche Safety Solutions 250.344.8606 avalanchesafety.ca

Mountain Motorsports

250.344.6100 mountainmotorsports.ca

Kamloops

Outlaw Motorsports

250.828.2200 outlawmotorsports.ca

RTR Performance 250.374.3141 rtrperformance.com

Kelowna

Innerspace Watersports Inc. 250.763.2040 innerspacewatersports.com

Martin Motor Sports 877.627.8468 martinmotorsports.ca

Langley

West Coast Sledders 604.332.2373 westcoastsledders.com

Nelson

Main Jet Motorsports

877.352.3191 shopmainjet.ca

Pemberton

Backcountry Motorsports 604.894.1797 backcountrymotorsports.ca

Prince George Cycle North Powersports 855.964.9091 cyclenorth.com

Prince George Motorsports

250.562.4151 pgmotorsports.ca

Revelstoke

Full Speed Rentals

250.837.8883 fullspeedrentals.com

Infinite Powersports

250.837.2027 infinitepowersports.com

Rough Country Marine Ltd

250.837.6738 rough-country.ca

Stoked Mountain Adventures

250.683.2727 stokedmountainadventures.com

Sicamous

Carl Kuster Mountain Park

250.836.3401 carlkuster.com

Vernon

Innerspace Watersports, Inc. 250.549.2040 innerspacewatersports.com

Riders Edge 250.542.0269 ridersedgesuspension.com

Whistler

Revolution Powersports 604.905.7733 revolutionpowersports.ca

Williams Lake

Spectra Powersports 250.392.3201 spectrapowersports.com

MANITOBA

West St. Paul

MGA Distribution 204.406.8628 mgadistribution.ca

Selkirk

West Side Honda/Polaris

1.888.482.7782 westsidehonda.ca

NOVA SCOTIA

Goodwood

HFX Motorsports 833.442.4046 hfxmotorsports.com

ONTARIO

Ottawa

Revco 855.833.5111 revco.ca

QUEBEC

Levis

Ty Moteurs 418.833.0500 tymoteurslevis.ca

Sainte-Jean-Chrysostome Peakboys 581.781.5514 peakboys.ca

SASKATCHEWAN

Lloydminister

Boundary Motorsports 306.825.4481 boundarymotorsports.com

Saskatoon Recreation Supply 306.664.3560 recreationsupply.ca

Weyburn

Rick’s Performance 306.861.0125 ricksperformance.com

White City

Powersports Regina 306.586.2900 powersportsregina.ca

YUKON

Whitehorse

Checkered Flag Recreation 867-633-2627 checkeredflagrecreation.com

RIDING TIP WITH ANDREAS BERGMARK

AN AIRBORNE PROGRESSION OF THE BASIC RE-ENTRY CAN ADD A CHALLENGE AND SOME FUN TO YOUR BACKCOUNTRY RIDE

BY ANDREAS BERGMARK

Even though I have performed this move more times than I can count, I have never given much thought about what it is called. Maybe a side panel re-entry is the best name for it.

Just like some riders love doing deep powder turns, the side panel re-entry is just a more extreme way to really get that “white room” feeling, combined with some sweet airtime.

It’s not an incredibly difficult or dangerous maneuver, but it does have many layers to it and is a progression of a normal re-entry.

This move is purely for the fun factor. If performed the right way, with flow, the side panel re-entry gives you a great sense of control.

Before trying to learn side panel re-entries, riders should already feel comfortable executing a basic re-entry, where the rider does a wheelie up a steep hill and turns it around back downhill. This move is an advanced version of that, with the extra challenge of a jump added in.

SIDE PANEL RE-ENTRY

CHOOSE THE RIGHT LOCATION

To execute this move with good flow, you need a hill that is steep. Without a steep enough slope to land on, you will for sure get stuck after landing on your side. Deep snow is strongly recommended since you will not be using any of the suspension of the sled to absorb the landing. More about that later.

You’ll also need to find something to jump off. This can be a pillow, wind lip, a snow-covered log—anything that is big enough to make your snowmobile pop and become airborne.

APPROACH

Just like with a basic re-entry, it is really important to never go straight up when approaching the pillow. Pick a line that is going slightly left or right of vertical. This will help prevent the risk of the sled falling backwards on top of you. This is very important!

When you approach the pillow, do it with good speed and attack it. You will lose a lot more momentum going up a steep slope than you would hitting a jump with a flatter in-run.

IMPACT AND TAKEOFF

When the sled hits the pillow, the impact will cause your weight to go from leaning forward to a more neutral position.

At this point you must also shift your weight to the side of the direction the sled will rotate in the air. This sideways movement is important and is the one thing separating the successful side landing re-entry from a half backflip.

When your sled leaves the snow, you should already be looking where you plan to land.

IN THE AIR

Once in the air, try to stay neutral on your sled and grip the tunnel with your feet. Personally, I always ride with grip plates on the tunnel to avoid losing my grip and body position.

Depending on how big you go, you may need to adjust the attitude of the sled with throttle or brake.

On smaller jumps you’ll need to hit the throttle hard to speed up the track and give the sled a faster rotation. If you’re doing a big air, you may need to do the opposite—no gas, and sometimes even using the brake to slow the rotation if it’s a really big one. Sometimes you just need to chill up there for half a second to avoiding over-rotating.

GRIPS PLATES AND TOE HOOKS

In addition to using grip plates on the sides of the tunnel, I also ride with a small, custom-made toe hook I have revised over the years. It’s basically just a bent piece of aluminum.

At first, the hook was bigger, which worked well but made it harder to bail out. Because of that, I had a few times when I was dragged along with my sled after crashing. Since then I’ve made it smaller, which does the job okay still and is safer to use.

I rarely use the toe hooks when I jump, but they are very handy for backflips and other upside-down tricks to help keep my feet in place.”

– Andreas

PREPARE TO LAND

Coming back down, you should be on the throttle hard (if you weren’t already for the entire jump). Your hips and upper body should be fully off the sled to the side. You don’t want your hips to be above the running board. Be fully on your side and prepare to fall down into the snow, focusing on holding the handlebars tight with a firm grip. This position will allow for a smooth landing in deep snow.

When you really have this move controlled, you can try a tap on the brake at this point while keeping your RPM up. This can help your clutches shift down a bit before going from 100 to zero. In dry powder this normally doesn’t matter, but in heavy snow with good traction it can help put your sled in the right gear before impact.

TOUCHDOWN

This is where the white room smacks you in the face! Who doesn’t love to fill their helmet with snow?

At this point you might not be able to see very well. But keep giving it a lot of throttle. Your focus should be on getting the sled from the side panel back onto the track. Extending your arms to the maximum will help get the sled back on track, whereas extending your legs will make it continue sliding down the hill.

RIDE AWAY

If you have it right—a good pillow, a steep enough slope and hard throttle, this is the moment you should achieve a successful side panel re-entry. Shake your helmet to get the snow out! You may need to go to one running board and push off the snow with your other leg to get enough momentum to get unstuck.

SIDE PANEL RE-ENTRY

These are all the things I think about through a move like this. But every rider has their own way of doing things, and there is only one way to figure that out: practice and analyze your progress. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Never do anything where you don’t feel in control.

Baby steps are the way to go. I started riding at age six, and I am 30 years old now. That’s 24 years of practice! Stay safe in the backcountry and have the time of your life!

– Andreas

You can follow Andreas on Instagram @andreas_bergmark and learn more riding tips from Andreas on the Lynx Snowmobiles YouTube channel @LynxSnowmobiles

P.A.S. | horseshoe-shaped airbag protects head, neck and chest from trauma.

orange handle | t-grip is easy to pull, easy to stow and located on the right side, so you can keep your finger on the throttle.

compressed air deployment | 100% reliable, no charging, no firmware updates

lightweight material | save weight, sweat less.

SPIRE LT VEST

snowmobile fit | designed for sitting on a sled and jumping over a seat, not skiing or walking uphill

YEARS

WE CELEBRATE A DECADE OF PRINT PUBLICATION WITH A REFLECTION ON SOME OF THE NOTABLE DEVELOPMENTS IN MOUNTAIN SLEDDING WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME

ARRIVAL OF THE AVALANCHE AIRBAG

Avalanche airbag technology was still in its infancy in the early 2010s, and their use was not yet common. Around the time of our first issue, airbag makers Highmark and Backcountry Access had begun to produce avalanche airbags specifically for the needs of sledders— with features like right shoulder deployment (to account for hand on throttle) and external shovel carry systems.

Today, it seems more mountain riders than not wear an avalanche airbag in the backcountry. These lifesaving tools continue to improve with new technology such as the use of advanced materials, smaller and lighter compressed gas cylinders and, most recently, battery and supercapacitor powered fan inflation systems.

MOUNTAIN SAFETY BECOMES A PRIORITY

Along with the proliferation of sleds specifically designed for mountain riding, came an influx of new riders who had never before had to consider the unique hazards present in the mountains. The magnified consequences of incidents there—such as injury, avalanche involvement, breakdowns and becoming lost in the mountains—started stacking up, to tragic effect in some cases. With better gear (transceivers and airbags), a focus on snowmobilers by Avalanche Canada and a trending culture that values coming home at the end of the day more than heroics, avalanche fatality rates in Canada have thankfully begun to taper off in recent years, despite still growing numbers of backcountry sledders. However, the numbers of Search & Rescue calls continue to climb in popular backcountry snowmobile destinations.

So while mountain sledders largely are entering the backcountry with more knowledge and better prepared than ever, promoting mountain safety continues to be a priority of our publication to help encourage the community of riders to be well-informed, prepared, self-reliant and ready to practice safe habits in the mountains.

From Iss 13, a story on the hazards of glacier travel.

SNOW BIKES!

Timbersled was still making snowmobile skids back in 2012, but their focus was squarely on the growing segment established by the first Mountain Horse snow bike conversion kit produced in 2010.

Sledders were beginning to discover the tight tree riding capability and sheer fun of a snow bike conversion kit. Of course, it didn’t take long before performance seeking riders started customizing their new snow bikes for maximum performance.

The manufacturers were further growing the sport by pitching their products to dirt bike riders as a way to keep their bikes going year-round.

In 2015, Timbersled was acquired by Polaris, which brought considerably more development resources and marketing capability to the small, niche market company.

The market has continued to grow to support a handful of other snow bike kit manufacturers today, including YETI SnowMX, Mototrax, CMX and, most recently, Mtn.Top Snowbikes.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Only a decade ago, calling for outside help in a backcountry snowmobiling emergency wasn’t an easy or practical option. Satellite phones and subscription plans for them were, and continue to be, prohibitively expensive. VHF radio use requires a license and there’s no way to directly contact emergency services via radio anyway. Mobile phone service in the backcountry was sparse and remains so to this day.

But two companies, SPOT and Delorme had recently emerged to change the way we communicate from the backcountry, with first generation satellite communication devices designed for recreational users. These tools allowed users to easily send a distress signal directly to emergency services from the backcountry via satellite networks.

Several iterations later, SPOT and inReach (now owned by Garmin) devices are now joined by a handful of other emergency satellite communications device options such as ZOLEO, Somewear and Bivy Stick to name a few. These devices today also offer a variety of additional functionality (such as weather forecasting and navigation) at different price levels.

Timbersled engineer, Cody Telford, enjoying the playfulness of the manufacturer’s RIOT 3 model.

This KTM 500 EXC snow bike mod was featured in MSM Iss 6.

ARCTIC CAT & YAMAHA PARTNERSHIP

For model year 2014 snowmobiles, Yamaha reached an unprecedented agreement with Arctic Cat to supply the chassis for Yamaha’s new SR Viper models. The SR Viper was introduced into the mountain segment for MY2015, using the M-TX designation and powered by Yamaha’s 4-stroke 1049 cc triple.

This would sunset the FX Nytro MTX—a significant model in its own right, being perhaps the most commonly adapted sled to turbo power at the time. The supply agreement is still in place, and with Arctic Cat on the cusp of introducing its next generation snowmobile platform, called Catalyst, in time for model year 2024, it will be interesting to see how the relationship continues to evolve.

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE MOUNTAIN TURBO 4-STROKE

For MY2017, Yamaha juiced up their mountain offering with the release of the Sidewinder M-TX SE 162 model. The new Sidewinder, powered by the Genesis 998 Turbo 4-stroke engine, became the most powerful production snowmobile ever released.

Unfortunately, the mountain segment didn’t support the heavier 4-stroke model (powerful though it was), leading to just a three-year run. The Sidewinder M-TX was discontinued after 2019, when Yamaha briefly abandoned the mountain segment altogether.

The departure was short-lived however, and Yamaha returned for 2021 with a revival of the Mountain Max model, powered by a lighter, more versatile 2-stroke engine.

The Nytro on the back cover of MSM Iss. 3, Winter 2013.

FOR 2015, YAMAHA INTRODUCED THE SR VIPER M-TX 162 SE.

For MY2018, a sharp-looking Sidewinder M-TX colourway was produced to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Yamaha Snowmobiles.

The 4-stroke Sidewinder M-TX excelled in terrain like the steep, open faces of Boulder Mountain.

YAMAHA ATHLETE, Brock Hoyer, showcasing the nimble attitude of the 2-stroke, 2023 Mountain Max.

MOD SLEDS AND CUSTOM BUILDERS

You just don’t see highly modified sleds out there patrolling the big chutes of Revelstoke like you did a decade ago. We’re not talking sleds with aftermarket bumpers and a finger throttle here. Think carbon fibre chassis, titanium fasteners and water-to-air intercoolers. Huge power, chute slaying builds with price tags quite easily in the $30-40 thousand range. These exotic, custom mod sleds outperformed stock sleds of the time by a long shot. They teased tons of power, but their reliability (even from the best builders) was generally not great. These rocket ships required tuning, often leading their operators to spend more time tinkering than slaying chutes on any given day. But it was all part of the fun.

A contributor to the decline of the custom mod sled was surely the availability of user friendly, bolt-on, no tune, gas-and-go 2-stroke turbocharger kits. Many riders could install these at home in a weekend, rather than rely on a custom builder.

The tipping point may have been the 2015 Ski-Doo Summit 174” with 3” lugged track. Never before could you buy a sled off the showroom floor that offered so much uphill capability, stock.

We could point to all the improvements made to factory sleds over the past ten years that have made them lighter, better handling and more powerful. These improvements brought newer production sleds closer to (and in some ways surpassing) the performance of the mod sled of yesterday, at a fraction of the price and with infinitely superior reliability.

A collective shift in the riding preferences of mountain sledders made a difference too. The thrill of chute climbing was supplanted by a new freeriding movement that made use of the whole mountain.

But the proverbial nail in the coffin had to be the 2020.5 SkiDoo Summit 850 E-TEC Turbo.

Sure, 2-stoke turbocharger technology was nothing new at this time. But the difference—and this is a big one—is that riders were no longer required to turn to the aftermarket to add horsepower. It came that way from the factory, with stock reliability, and it came with warranty.

OWNER: Dave Micku

SLED: Custom 2011 Ski-Doo XP E-Tec

MOD BY:

TSS WATER-TO-AIR INTERCOOLER

According to Dave, the water-to-air intercooler has a signi cant advantage over its air-to-air cousin. It retains its ability to cool when there is little to no movement of air under the hood, which results in the reduced ability of a traditional intercooler to work e ectively. ere are a couple of common circumstances when this advantage plays out. One of these scenarios is the when the sled is moving slowly, such as when riding through tight, technical trees. Similarly, when the sled is hill climbing, although the track may be spinning at 160kph, the sled may only be crawling up the slope, which causes reduced air ow. Another circumstance that can hinder the air-to-air intercooler’s ability to perform is when deep snow blocks the hood vents, e ectively shutting down under-hood air movement.

Being able to provide consistent cooling is a huge advantage for the e ectiveness of the fuel control system. TSS uses the Boost-It fuel controller on this build, and keeping the intake air cool is vital to staying within the e ective working range of the controller.

The E-TEC Turbo retained the snappy engine characteristic of the naturally aspirated version, just with more power. There was no downside—it was just better.

Air that is not consistently cooled can cause the controller to work at the extremes of its range, which can result in sluggish throttle response. e water-to-air intercooler allows the fuel controller to work within its zone of comfort, producing crisp throttle response when you need it most.

Dave says he has a lot of customers buying TSS A-Arms to protect their stock sleds as well.

TURBO KITS FOR Polaris Ski-Doo Arctic Cat

Visit www.boondockers.com/ and build your turbo kit today.

POLARIS NOW OFFERS TWO DISTINCT ‘FACTORY MOD’ POWERPLANT OPTIONS—PATRIOT BOOST AND 9R.

Polaris quickly followed suit with Patriot Boost, and added their factory big bore 9R a year later.

There will probably always be demand for builders to find ways to improve or squeeze a little more performance out of factory sleds that are manufactured under the constraints of mass production and governmental regulation. Just maybe not as much as before.

DECLINE OF THE AFTERMARKET

This could be lumped in with the point about mod sleds. The snowmobile manufacturers have increasingly taken note of what’s available in the aftermarket and incorporated those things into their offerings.

What were once the domain of the performance aftermarket, now come as factory options on mountain models. Options like:

• Narrower A-arms

• Reinforced running boards

• Long tracks and short tunnels

• Premium shocks

• Compact, lightweight seats

But this assimilation has not been limited to performance products. The manufacturers (BRP and Polaris in particular) have developed huge catalogues of parts, garments and accessories. You can get just about anything with a LinQ or Lock and Ride Flex attachment on it these days.

R.I.P. DVD

The last time Mountain Sledder published a snowmobile film review was in Issue 13, Winter 2018. There’s been a small handful of sled films issued on DVD since, but the vast majority of productions have either moved to streaming services or simply disappeared altogether.

The largest online catalog of sledding carnage undoubtedly belongs to Thunderstruck, which has published its own subscription service called Thunderstruck TV.

Other prominent sled series, like Boondockers, are now primarily available on either Amazon Prime Video or iTunes.

509 Films has gone a different direction—rather than producing a feature length film each winter, they regularly release episodic content for free on YouTube throughout the season.

Other production series such as Slednecks, 2 Stroke Cold Smoke and Braaap have apparently stopped making content altogether. It’s a tough go these days.

Though not totally related to the shift in the way that sled films are delivered, we did also cover 2014’s Winter Project by Hybrid Color Films, which was the first (and only that we’re aware of) snowmobile film to be fully crowdfunded.

We were never remotely qualified to critique sled films anyway, but it was a fun way to kick back towards the end of summer and enjoy some great sledding footage from the season past.

ALPHA ONE AND OTHER NEW TECHNOLOGY

One could argue that more impactful technological developments have occurred in the last ten years, but Arctic Cat’s singlebeam rear suspension ALPHA ONE stands out for ostensibly altering the definition of a snowmobile in a way that we haven’t seen since the departure of the trailing arm in the early 2000s.

Other noteworthy advancements on mountain sleds in the last ten years include:

• Ski-Doo SHOT Starter

• Polaris 7S Display vehicle-to-vehicle rider tracking

• Arctic Cat ATAC on-the-fly suspension adjustment

EVERYONE FLIPS

In the footsteps of Jim Rippey pioneering backcountry backflips and Daniel Bodin landing a double, it seems that many riders in the past couple of years (including regular guys you’ve never even heard of) have landed a backcountry flip of some sort.

What was once a rare, deliberately calculated attempt that was professionally documented for posterity, has evolved into simply a benchmark of courage and ability that unfortunately might barely slow the scroll of an overstimulated social media user.

So, while flips remain just as difficult and committing as ever, they are no longer solely the pantheon of our snowmobiling heroes. There exists now a small army of riders who have successfully attempted their first backcountry flip—a disproportionate number who have found the courage to do so in the presence of two riders: Andreas Bergmark and Brett Turcotte. It’s no coincidence that both of these progressive and influential riders are featured in this very issue, passing their knowledge on to others.

Andreas Bergmark, midway through a 270˚ flip.

10 YEARS

A lot has changed in the ten years Mountain Sledder has been in publication. Yet we’re still pretty much doing the same old thing—heading into the mountains in search of a good times adventure.

The what we do hasn’t changed so much as the how we do it.

We’re safer now than we were a decade ago. We’re comfortably going farther than ever before. And our understanding of what snowmobiling can be is evolving, even as we continue to affirm the basic, fundamental truth that Snowmobiling Is Fun.