Mountain Sledder Magazine Issue 20 Part II

A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE AND LEARN FROM THE BEST

Think about an activity you’re really passionate about—motocross, drag racing, golf, hockey, whatever.

Now imagine the opportunity to hang out with your favourite superstar athlete for a day and race the track together, discuss camshaft specs or ask them to critique your clapper. How amazing would that be? What better way to learn than from the very best? When it comes to snowmobiling, it can be done.

RUBBING ELBOWS

Brett Turcotte’s ability to ride is without question in the uppermost tier of the elite. The best of the best. To find out more about how he shares his knowledge and experience with others, Mountain Sledder tagged along for a day on one of Brett’s advanced riding clinics in Golden, BC.

TURCOTTE RIDING CLINICS

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. But when the subject matter happens to be snowmobiling in the mountains, that adds another dimension because there is risk associated with stepping outside our comfort zone.

How does a rider gain the confidence to go for it? And learn to do it the right way, for the best chance at success? These are key to expanding our capability in a safe and fun way.

IN BRETT’S ADVANCED CLINIC, CAYDEN MARTENS ACQUIRES A LEVEL OF COMFORT ON A NATURAL TABLETOP JUMP.

A VARIETY OF SKILL LEVELS

As you might expect, the demand for Brett’s knowledge and expertise for riders at an advanced to expert level is high. But his clinics are for everyone, to help smooth the learning curve of even the most inexperienced riders too. “There are some people who come into my clinics who have just bought a snowmobile and have no idea how to get past the cabin,” says Brett.

To provide the best tailored learning experience, Brett splits his regular season clinics into Beginner-Intermediate and Intermediate-Advanced groupings. Later in the season, Brett also provides an advanced, jump-specific clinic.

“There’s room for every skill level,” say Brett, “all the way from just learning to ride to landing a cover shot on a magazine.”

Part of the fun is just being in the backcountry and exploring terrain together as a group.

5BADHABITS

WE ASKED BRETT IF THERE ARE SOME POOR RIDING HABITS HE SEES REGULARLY. HERE’S HIS TOP 5 LIST OF COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID:

1) NOT LOOKING FAR ENOUGH AHEAD

2) USING THE MOUNTAIN BAR TOO MUCH

3) LACK OF CONFIDENCE USING THROTTLE AND BRAKE

4) SIDEHILLING TOO FAST, OUT OF CONTROL

5) PIN AND WIGGLE UNTIL THE SLED IS COMPLETELY BURIED

STRUCTURED LEARNING

For the two-day clinics, Saturday is checkup day, starting with Brett getting to know each of the clients and assessing their ability to ride individually and as a group.

“We’ll start with some basic maneuvers and within about the first hour I can usually gauge pretty well where each rider is at, and from there we mold the course to fit,” says Brett.

Day two is a little more focused, with some specific techniques covered based on the outcome of the first day and the requests of the riders.

Brett likes to keep the instructional material fluid. Not every group has the same goals, so he feels it’s important to maintain the flexibility to cover what the clients want to learn. Some riders make specific requests, like learning how to make a drop or the best way to hit a jump, but it’s also important to mold the clinic to meet the entire group’s learning objectives.

“I do go in with a certain goal in mind,” says Brett. “Obviously, number one is safety, and after that we start having fun.”

GSR guide Aaron Bernasconi keeps a watchful eye as the group moves through some big terrain.

SAFETY FIRST

Though not a riding technique, a skill that will keep sledders riding for many years is the ability to navigate terrain safely. It’s one of the most crucial skills for beginners and advanced riders alike.

“It takes a presence of mind to recognize weather and snow conditions, and plan your trip accordingly,” say Brett.

The start of every clinic—regardless of level—begins with talk about the snow conditions and the terrain the group will access and travel through.

“For a lot of people, [that conversation] is a small thing that is overlooked, but it’s a large part of being able to continue snowmobiling safely in the mountains for a long time,” say Brett.

Ultimately, the goal is to teach people of all ability levels to be stronger, more efficient riders—in the most safe and fun way possible.

To help manage the safety aspect, Brett engages the guiding services of Golden Snowmobile Rentals when he’s teaching in the Golden area.

GSR guides help mitigate safety aspects, which allows Brett to focus on

The

Brett explains using foot placement to control the angle of the sled across steep terrain.

The clients work on balance and control across a long, choppy sidehill section.

Chris Nummelin setting a scorching time up an improvised hillclimb race course set up by Brett.

teaching. They can also be relied upon to use their local knowledge to sniff out good snow and find suitable terrain that fits the goals of the clinic.

For clinics in Revelstoke, Brett partners with Stoked Mountain Adventures, which acts as a host for the clinics and can provide accommodation, rentals and retail sales.

LEARNING CONTROL

Brett says a common technique that is discussed at all levels is the ability to get the sled on edge with control.

For beginners, that means starting on flat ground and learning how to get the snowmobile up on edge with a little bit of throttle and brake (and not a whole lot of body input), then working into steeper terrain as confidence grows.

For advanced riders, Brett talks about putting them into more difficult situations where they might not feel 100% comfortable, and working on refining the balance and control needed to keep the sled on edge there. One skill that Brett finds many riders have difficulty mastering is the ability to sidehill equally well on both sides.

“It’s easier [to sidehill] standing wrong-foot-forward with your right foot on the running board and the throttle side up,” says Brett. But the challenge for many riders is to become equally adept at going across a slope in both directions.

“I make it pretty clear that you need to be able to sidehill both ways equally well, and that’s where I see a lot of the challenge for the intermediate riders.”

The group crossing Gorman Lake on day two of the clinic.

STRIKING A BALANCE

We asked Brett how he manages to push riders out of their comfort zone without getting them in completely over their heads.

“Often the best way to encourage progress is to put people into situations where they probably wouldn’t go with their riding group or their buddies. But because they’re in a clinic, they’re there to learn and are willing to step outside what’s comfortable for them,” says Brett.

“I have a pretty good read on people when it comes to what’s outside [their comfort zone] and what’s within reach, and just try to ride that fine line. Being able to read people’s skill levels and managing their nerves is pretty key to teaching [backcountry riding]. That’s something that comes from years of being around riders of different skill levels.”

Brett says that once you crack that code, riders really start to digest new information and learn quickly. All it takes is one failure followed by a success, and that’s a win, says Brett. About finding that balance, he says, “I like to challenge everyone, but also make sure they’re having fun; that’s the most important part for me.”

ELEVATED LEARNING

For now, Brett’s clinics take place exclusively in Golden and Revelstoke, BC. We asked what Brett likes about those areas.

“For me, Golden and Revelstoke are sort of the hot spots for snowmobiling in British Columbia. You have to go where the snow is and where the people are.”

This advanced clinic made use of two Golden riding areas: Silent Pass on the first day, and the Gorman Lake area on day two.

“Golden really has kind of everything I’m looking for as far as teaching. The terrain is amazing; there are trees and jumps. You can always bank on finding some good snow when you look over the next ridge. And the warming huts are pretty key for clinics, because sometimes it gets pretty cold out on the hill and we need to find shelter for lunch,” said Brett.

“Just the ease of access and everything about the area around Golden is really fitting for being able to take groups out and hosting a clinic effectively.”

Brett explains to the advanced group the use of throttle and brake to control the angle of the sled in the air.

Brett with a casual heelclicker as the rest of the group dials in the tabletop jump.

RIDE WITH BRETT

You might not leave Brett’s two day clinic ready for X Games glory, but you’ll certainly be a better rider when you do. And you’ll be armed with information you can use to safely practice and continue your progression down the road.

Part of that progression comes from stepping outside your comfort zone. Brett’s ability to read the skill level of other riders and recognize where their comfort zone lies—and then reconfigure those boundaries—is perhaps his greatest strength as a teacher.

Just being around Brett and his energy is enough to inspire some riders to push beyond their preconceived limitations. Just remember: there are no energy drink sponsorships handed out at the end of the clinic, so don’t get crazy.

He doesn’t say it, but a big part of the experience is the chance to rub elbows with an approachable, down-to-earth dude who also happens to be

PHOTO: ZAC CADOT @zac_oh

one of the most radical riders on the planet. The opportunity to hang with a snowmobiling hero is worth the price of admission for a lot of people.

Even for those who don’t completely idolize Brett, it’s still pretty amazing to witness firsthand a rider who demonstrates such total, effortless control. It’s surprising and very, very humbling.

For Brett, we asked what he enjoys most about teaching. He said his reward is to see the clients progressing and to know that they’re getting a good return on the investment in themselves and their riding season.

“It’s an honour to have my name on these clinics and to have people want to come learn and be on the mountain together and take some of my knowledge home,” says Brett.

Perhaps the best quality of a teacher is the ability to inspire confidence. By helping riders to safely go beyond their comfort zone and discover their own greater ability within, Brett has also achieved a new measure of success for himself.

Brett Turcotte will be providing backcountry riding clinics in the Golden and Revelstoke areas throughout Winter 2022-23. Clinic dates and other information can be found at www.brettturcotte.com

Scan the code to see Brett’s vlog from the advanced clinic in Golden.

A behind-the-scenes of filming Brett’s advanced clinic vlog.

ALBERTA

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To Yukon and Alaska on a

and a Whim

FOUR RIDERS TAKE THE LONG ROAD NORTH IN SEARCH OF NEW TERRAIN AND NEW FRIENDSHIPS

BY CODY MCNOLTY IMAGES: ALLAN SAWCHUCK

Atrip to Alaska should probably be on every snowmobiler’s bucket list.

Now, it’s one thing to drive to the southern tip of the Alaska Panhandle, just to say you did. But it’s a much bigger commitment to make the trek from a southern part of British Columbia, all the way through the Yukon and deep into Alaska to ride.

A trip like this requires a lot of planning and preparation. One reason why is that many riding areas in AK are a good distance from the nearest town. So riders will often stock up on fuel and food, and camp out at trailheads on the side of the highway for a few days. But doing it this way is completely foreign to me. So much planning and preparation.

But…that’s not exactly how this trip went. Instead, we relied heavily on the Ross Mercer Factor.

For those who don’t know who Ross Mercer is, let me enlighten you. Ross is a true OG of the big mountain extreme snowmobile movement from the early days of the 2 Stroke Cold Smoke films. At the time, he was one of only a few riders pioneering distance jumps, 270˚ rotations and backcountry flips. Ross is a born and raised Yukon local, and was the first freeride snowmobiler in Canada to land a Red Bull contract.

After Ross retired from professional snowmobiling, he spent his time focused on building Mercer Contracting, his transportation company. But recently, he has renewed his passion for mountain sledding.

I met Ross on social media about a year ago, and we started clicking right away. Sometime in March, I randomly mentioned something to Ross about maybe making a trip up to ride in Alaska. Ross simply replied that if I could come in early April, he’d take a couple of weeks and show me all the best spots in the Yukon and AK. We could camp in his toy hauler.

I took his offer at face value, gave him some dates and as far as we were concerned, it was a done deal. “Call me when you’re close to Whitehorse,” he said, and that was that.

GATHERING A CREW

Assembling a solid crew on such short notice was surprisingly easy. I knew before I even asked my friend Allan Sawchuck that he would say yes (he did).

With all the magic of that first day arriving in Thompson Pass—alpine sunset, BBQ dinner, tailgate drinks around a fire and a northern lights show—the highlight may have been our gnarly shred session right next to the parking lot.”

We also wanted to invite a couple of serious shredders who could handle big days and unforeseen challenges, contribute some mechanical skills and parts and, most importantly, with the schedule and budget to make it work. Our first choice was a couple of riding buddies from home who fit the bill—Sam Standing and Andrew Munster. They both said yes, and within days of chatting, Andrew’s truck and trailer were filled with sleds, tools, parts and all sorts of custom gadgets from the minds of Sam and Andrew.

Just like that we were ready to head out on a whim to Yukon and Alaska.

THE LONG ROAD NORTH

Regardless of which way you go, getting from the Lower Mainland, BC to the big part of Alaska by road involves three long, long days of driving. So, we decided to add in a boat ride.

Andrew, enjoying a sunset shred session.

– Andrew

We departed Squamish and travelled first by road and ferry to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. From there, we boarded another ferry to sail up the Inside Passage to Prince Rupert. The four of us shared a cabin on the overnight voyage. We awoke in Prince Rupert at 7 am and hit the road.

We made it six hours before restlessness got the best of us, so we stopped and had a quick half-day shred just outside of Meziadin Junction. Afterwards, we jumped back in the truck for another six-hour drive to Dease Lake, still in BC.

YUKON

The next day we arrived in Whitehorse and stayed overnight at a hotel, drying our gear and making plans to meet Ross. He wanted to take us on a day trip to a favourite local zone in the direction of Skagway, AK. Meeting Ross in person was memorable; he showed up

Setting up camp at Haines Summit.

The northern lights put on several shows throughout THE trip.

in Yukon fashion—wearing insulated mud boots, sweatpants and a hoodie. His truck exhaust is even louder than my black Dodge, and that’s saying something.

The riding where Ross took us that day was incredible; in nearly one day we rode in BC, Yukon and almost into Alaska. The hillclimbs are massive, and we rode past historical sites from the gold rush days. It was a great start.

The next day, Ross proved himself a man of his word. We packed up his 42-foot fifth wheel toy hauler with grub, fuel and sleds. It would be pulled by one of his well-used, Cummingspowered pilot trucks with 700,000 km on it.

With everything in order, we headed out for the start of our real Yukon and Alaska experience.

Cody, pulling a 270˚ flip at Thompson Pass.

Andrew, going large over the mouth of an ice cave while the crew watches on.

HAINES SUMMIT

Our first destination was Haines Summit, where Yukon and British Columbia meet, not far from the Alaska border. We would spend the next four days camped on the side of the highway, riding tree zones near Haines, AK, and endless alpine zones in the Haines Summit Pass area. The experience of winter RV camping on the side of the highway in the mountains is something words cannot fully describe.

The trip was going smoothly, but our time riding at Haines Summit did come with a few moments of adversity. Ross and I both had to each make separate day trips back to Whitehorse to get additional parts to keep the trip going.

As timing would have it, by the fourth day a storm rolled in, so we packed up and made the full day’s journey from Haines Summit to Thompson Pass, well into Alaska.

ALASKA

Arriving at Thompson Pass felt like a scene from a movie. The skies were perfectly blue and we had the parking lot to ourselves. We set up camp, finished bolting up some new parts to my sled and geared up for our first ride at 8 pm!

The snow conditions were so good that we were able to ride and session a feature less than 50 meters from our camp—one good

Dropping off the backside and making our way towards the famous ‘Books’ was really an eye-opener to real big mountain riding after a lifetime of riding Whistler and Pemberton, BC. We rode for what seemed like forever, into the biggest open zones I’ve ever seen, and yet there was so much more to explore.”

– Sam

enough for Andrew and myself to land multiple flip variations each. We watched a 10 pm alpine sunset and had a BBQ dinner at midnight back at camp. It was a hell of a way to start our trip in AK. Over the next three days we would get after it big time—hitting massive jumps and dozens of upside-down features, exploring endlessly and enjoying meeting and riding with some truly wonderful people: Jesse Larsen, Randy Sherman, Ryan and Jess Britt, Dan Phillips and fellow Ski-Doo Ambassador, Ashley Chaffin. The snow conditions couldn’t have been more perfect, and after nine days of riding on this trip, we saved the best for last. The seemingly endless days of sun and cold powder had started to turn, and we decided to spend our last ride day exploring some of the most massive, big mountain alpine riding terrain I’ve ever seen. The endless glaciers and ranges made other zones I’ve ridden in places like Pemberton, BC and Kamchatka, in Russia, seem small.

The last night in Alaska, we made one final BBQ dinner, told stories around the fire and, again, watched the northern lights perform their act. The next morning we pulled down camp, loaded up, gave some high-fives and returned to Whitehorse, where we said goodbye for now to our new friend Ross Mercer. There were more high-fives, a few hugs and a couple of tears (we won’t admit who). Myself, Al, Sam and Andrew then turned south for the long, three-day drive home.

The crew, from left to right: Sam Standing, Jesse Larsen, Randy Sherman, Ashley Chaffin, Cody McNolty, Dan Phillips, Andrew Munster, Ross Mercer, Allan Sawchuck.

Ross went above and beyond to make our trip as comfortable as possible. Everyone pulled their weight, but this trip simply could not have happened for us without Ross and his generosity.” – AllAn

“

Ross Mercer, showing he’s still got love for pushing it in the backcountry.

TO YUKON AND ALASKA ON A WHIM

By the time we made it home, we had been on the road for 16 days. Of those, we rode ten. Eight were full bluebird days, with two of mixed sun and cloud. We found perfect-to-good snow conditions every day; made new friendships; explored four different mountain ranges; and managed to solve all our mechanical breakdowns, including breaking off one of the three axles on the toy hauler. There were no injuries, no arguments.

All in all, this was a unicorn road trip that worked out better than we’d barely planned.

The four of us would like to thank the people from Yukon and Alaska who made our trip so perfect. And a very special thank you to Ross. He is a man of his word and one heck of a nice guy. Without Ross’ hospitality and kindness—from arranging accommodations, fuel, organic food and travel, to providing local knowledge, safety, care and a lot of laughter— our experience could not have been so amazing.

Until next time. – Cody

Sam, making the most of good snow and bluebird skies.

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EXPOSURE

PHOTO: ROB ALFORD @ alfordrob

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THE FUTURE OF RIDING

A PREDICTIVE LOOK AT A TYPICAL RIDE IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE

BY MARTY ANDERSON

Self-driving cars are here already and one has to imagine that if the technology can safely navigate an automobile amongst other traffic, multiple lanes, stoplights and sudden obstacles like bicycles and pedestrians, then surely it could keep a sled between two snowbanks on a groomed trail.

But at what point does the use of technology begin to diminish rather than enhance the enjoyment of our sport?

Here’s a look at what the next ten years of technological development in our sport might bring…would you want to ride this way?

A RIDE IN THE FUTURE

At the trailhead, a fresh layer of snow from last night sparkles in the sunshine rising above the horizon.

traffic volume. One human supervisor can remotely monitor the progress of several groomers at once, all from the warmth of their own home. The groomers stay in constant contact with all riders on the trail, updating their location in real-time to keep everyone safe.

You head up the precisely groomed trail, taking a glance at the heads-up display (HUD) inside of your Intelli-visor:

Defrost: on, in auto-regulation mode

Slider Condition: a little warm but no problem, the scratchers will selfdeploy when needed

Belt Temperature: climate controlled and within range

Fuel Mixture: optimized for mileage

Machine monitoring and diagnostics have come a long way in the past few years and you have nothing to worry about—all systems are good.

Just as you settle in for the half hour ride to the alpine, a familiar warning chime bings inside your helmet. A light in the periphery of your visor confirms that you are approaching a bARGe—an Autonomous Remoteassist Groomer, like an oversized Roomba vacuum on tracks. These driverless trail groomers run all day, keeping the trail perfect regardless of

Your mind wanders to a recent report of the major snowmobile manufacturers testing self-driving models on select trails. The system is a simplified version of the ones used in the automotive world and the beta test units are performing well. As you maneuver around the bARGe, you wonder if you could ever fully trust a computer to do the steering for you. You had enough trouble accepting electronic steering at first.

A few quick miles later and you break into the open bowl and look up at the mountain peaks for the first time today. A quick loop of the field gives your sled computer some data to analyze, sensors working to measure the thickness, density and cohesiveness of the snowpack at this elevation.

The program algorithm cross references today’s forecast, recent weather events and the current snow conditions data it has gathered through the track and skis. This info is analyzed together with a data packet from the Avalanche Canada forecast center that is updated in real-time. Within seconds, your sled knows more about the snow conditions and avalanche hazard potential than you would learn from digging ten test pits.

You stop and scroll through options to bring up “Routes” on your oversized dash display. A 3-dimensional projection of the surrounding mountains appears, along with safe travel routes and terrain warnings. You select a path straight up through the trees with a sidehill out the top. A red line flashes; that line is not recommended. Based on previous attempts and

historical data, the chance of success is rated at 7%. But that would put you in the Top 5 on the 30-day leaderboard for this zone. Let’s go for it.

As you climb, your in-visor HUD flashes safe turnout spots, but you ignore them all as you head for the top. As you start the sidehill above the trees with too little speed, the line choice warning gets more urgent; your sled already knows you won’t make it, even if you don’t.

You lose the line and bail, sending your sled down through the trees below. As you sit and stare at the “Error - Rider Abandonment” message flashing inside your helmet, you listen to the cringe-inducing sound of a sled crashing through brush and snapping off trees and branches as it plummets down the hill. With a sigh you realize that some things never change, and you begin the climb down after it.

The crash was sufficient to trigger the GPS-based emergency warning alert, notifying emergency services and your pre-set contacts via satellite of an incident at your location. Reaching the sled, you quickly cancel the alert and send out an “I’m Okay” message to your spouse and Search & Rescue, so they know to stand down. A couple of nearby sledders (who received a notification of a nearby incident) ride over to check if everything is okay.

You run the self-diagnostic on your sled, and after a moment the report reveals that an A-arm has been critically damaged in the heroic run down the side of the mountain. Not an overly expensive repair, but your sled is unrideable at this point. You contemplate how you will make it home. One of the riders in the group offers the solution: he recently signed up to a new service called “Parts Alert”. He logs into his phone and with a few clicks

(make, model, year) the order is placed and a drone is dispatched from the local dealer with a replacement A-arm and the wrenches needed to change it. ETA is about 20 minutes.

Settling in to wait, you check the digital temperature display on your exhaust cooker and see that your food is still only at 25˚C. Lukewarm at best. At least your “Onboard Barista” OEM accessory espresso machine is still functional.

Your newfound friends hang around and chat while you wait, making jokes about the incoming drone. There is talk of a new restaurant drone service coming soon that can deliver burgers and beers, but you’re not sure if it would deliver food this far up the mountain.

Your helmet warning beeps again and you look to see the autonomous groomer turn around at the treeline and head back down the trail again. At least the ride home will be smooth.

“ The crash was sufficient to trigger the GPS-based emergency warning alert, notifying emergency services and your pre-set contacts via satellite of an incident at your location.

I ’LL HAVE A MACH Z-IATO TO GO, PLEASE.”

When photographer Todd Williams shows up for a photoshoot, the guy comes prepared—and not just with cameras and sledding gear. We’ve learned to expect BBQ smoke, tunes and laughter to be drifting from the area around his enclosed trailer at any time.

As to what TW was up to though, riding through the parking lot with a full-sized household espresso machine under his arm on this -27˚C February morning, we couldn’t begin to imagine…

BARISTA: TODD WILLIAMS @toddwilliamsusa

EFFORTLESSLY AGILE. ENDLESSLY EXCITING.

When winter pushes your limits, push back with the new 2023 Summit Edge. Engineered with our new lighter, narrower REV Gen5 platform for maximum performance and effortless handling on steep and technical rides. Paired with the relentless power of a Rotax 850 E-TEC engine, the Edge will give you more goosebumps than a fierce mountain top wind.