October 2013
Grand County Colorado Offers Great Snowmobiling Adventures
Thunder Bay Racer Does Well! Traveling in the Backcountry this Winter? Getting There with Control of Horsepower and Fuel Economy at Your Fingertips
2014 Chevrolet Silverado: All New From The Ground Up!
NORTH SUPERIOR PUBLISHING INC.
Kenora Snocross Racer Has Great Season
Thunder Bay Racer Does Well! as excitement built for the big showdown, we knew that Chris was going to have to pull off something really special again and that Young's would be expecting it, and he did, but the huge snowflakes had other ideas and the race was too close to call by eye at the end. We reran and again no result, and reran again, and we just couldn't make it happen again. Prostock 800 final result: Young's 1st, Dmax 2nd beating out the rest of the field with our 600. Great Day! Again Thank to all of you who've helped us get there! Dmax.
Well amidst the sleet, rain and snow while others adjust furiously, the Dmax 73x73 PS6 ran strong once again going undefeated to take Prostock 600 and Prostock 700. Prostock 800 was a different story as again Young's world class Prostock 800 was the sled to beat breaking off 5.5's with the occasional 5.4. So our driver Chris was going to have to make up a couple tens on the tree to make it happen, and he did. He ran a 5.53 with a 0.226 reaction time against Young's amazing 5.36 but with a 0.685 reaction to hand the big 800 his first loss of the day. Weather conditions changed all day and big snow flakes reeked havoc on the timing beams. Toward the end of the day
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Ultralight/Waterproof .9- Weighing just 8.4 ounces, the convenient, portable AMK Ultralight/Waterproof .9 is stocked
Snow travelers and Snowmobilers should consider these items as they load up for their next backcountry adventure.
with supplies for all types of injuries and illnesses one might encounter. The Ultralight/Waterproof .9 comes in a resealable waterproof DryFlex™bag and retails for $36. For more details, link Pocket Survival Pak -Designed by outdoor survival expert, Doug Ritter, this kit contains critical survival supplies in a waterproof, pocket-sized pack that weighs only 3.9 ounces. This kit includes a 20mm compass, duct tape, scalpel blade, magnifier, utility wire, nylon cord, nylon thread, sewing needle, fishing kit, safety pins, aluminum foil, pencil, paper, Fire Lite sparker, Tinder Quik, super loud whistle, rescue mirror, and survival instructions. MSRP $34 Link to more information.
SOL Escape Lite Bivvy- Weighing in at only 4.7 oz., the Escape Lite is versatile enough to function as an emergency outdoor survival bivvy, a lightweight warmweather sleeping bag or even a sleeping bag liner to extend your bags temperature rating by 15F. Marking a major innovation in survival shelter technology, the SOL Escape Lite solves the age-old design flaw that afflicts most bivvies – excess moisture build-up. Made from a vacuum metalized spun-bonded olefin, the Escape Lite’s groundbreaking design lets condensation escape at the same time it keeps rain, snow and wind on the outside. The special material also reflects body heat, so you can survive the unexpected night outdoors without waking up soaking wet. The Escape Lite is a comfortable 82” long by 31” wide. Retail
For product samples, images or further questions please contact: Kris Hathaway, HFS Communications, kris@hfscommunications.com
Watch For Our November Issue Of
NW Ontario Snowmobile News We will feature the 2014 Snowmobiles fromArctic Cat, Polaris, Ski Doo and Yamaha with information from local dealers! Ad Copy Deadline November 7th Contact Sylvia at 807-623-2348 for advertising information.
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SNOWMOBILE NEWS OCTOBER 2013
www.slednews.com Kenora Snocross Racer Has Great Season BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
NW Ontario Snowmobile News
Seventeen year old Brady Love, number 444, had a great first season doing all races in the ISOC?National series finishing third overall behind Zak Mason and Jake Angrove in the year long points in the Sport class. The Sport
class is an important step leading to Pro Lite and Pro Open classes. It is a hotly contested class with 80 to 100 entries each race weekend. “ At the first race of the season Duluth Polaris noticed me and talked to my father Rick and myself a little bit. At that race I became the number 1 qualifier for my first race, which was, huge
and ended up battling with Zak Mason, a Polaris factory rider and I ended up finishing second. Tom Rager Jr of Polaris Racing came up to us and asked who are you, we have never heard of you before,”?laughed Brady Love. “ During that race they helped us with suspension specs and the next weekend they started helping us with parts. The help meant we could do all the National Races which wouldn’t have been possible financially without them.”
The week before Duluth Brady broke a bone in his wrist during training which made the racing harder and harder to ride although he completed each race weekend. “ I ended up crashing out in finals because I couldn’t hold on to the sled with the injured wrist which had a broken bone, one of 8 bones in your wrist. I would come home with no riding then, get casted and then just before the race weekend take the cast off,” said Love. “ I had surgery on the wrist 9 weeks ago and had a bone graft. If all is well I will get a different type of cast and start physio soon and?will be ready for snocross with maybe some motocross in September.” Polaris will help Brady Love out a lot next year and support him as much as they can.
We are trying to get three sleds this season. One sled for the Friday night race,
hope to get back on the motocross bike before the snocross season. Motocross
one for Saturday nights as well as a practice sled. We barely made it last year with one sled struggling getting parts and even getting out for the finals. Polaris is going to help me out as much as they can. There are many up and coming kids racing,”?said Brady Love. “ I?do a high intensity work out and
is a fun hobby and I could see myself doing well if I worked at it but financially it is too much and I have to be committed to just one and I pick snocross.”
“ My goal for 2015 is to be a pro lite rider for a team. Polaris wants me to spend another year in Sport class and be like Zak Mason who will race for Leighton Motorsports this year as a Pro Lite rider. Next year I will graduate high school. If I get a full time race ride after that I would take a year off school and try and make a point,”?smiles Brady Love. “ My dad Rick is my mechanic, driver, cook, everything. I love racing. My family bought me a little half ton with long box so I can put the sled in and go down to the states to their tracks to practice as we don’t have any tracks at home.” Polaris is mentoring Brady Love and like that he is young and can develop. “ SNOWMOBILE NEWS OCTOBER 2013
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Grand County Colorado Offers Great Snowmobiling Adventures BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
NW Ontario Snowmobile News As an avid snowmobiler there have been some must destinations I have always wanted to visit. High on my bucket list was Colorado and in early March of this year I had the opportunity to fulfill my dream and visit Grand County Colorado to experience first hand some spectacular snowmobiling.
My trip began with a quick flight to Toronto and connection to Denver arriving at 11 am. This is a good connection from the east. The busy Denver Airport is one of the biggest in the US with over 50 million passengers per year and was fun to see in action mode. After picking up my rental car it was on the road to Grand County. At the beginning you see little snow and a large urban environment. Soon you start to climb in elevation and when you hit the Pass the snow is very evident. The roads are excellent and with 4 lanes going up the
Pass it felt very safe. In about 2 hours I arrived at my place to stay in Grand Lake, the Gateway Inn. This very snowmobile friendly hotel offered a great stay with your room including a fireplace and western motive. Outside was a hot tub and the lobby area included a large bar where snowmobilers were discussing their day’s rides. It was fun to have lunch at nearby
Advance tickets, lodging and race schedule indoor/outdoor viewing & expo
Racer preregistration required through www.isocracing.com or 866-771-4762.
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SNOWMOBILE NEWS OCTOBER 2013
Sloopy’s that is right on the trail and has a great fast food offering. The owners of this restaurant are very friendly and I enjoyed talking about the area with them. My first day in Grand Lake began with some ice fishing on Grand Lake. This weekend the Grand Lake Ice Fishing contest was underway where anglers were participating in catch and release contests in different fish categories. It was fun to experience and see the area, which is home to such celebrities as Tim Allen and the founders of Hallmark cards. It was great touring around the lake by snowmobile and seeing the excited anglers. Continued Next Page
Grand County Colorado Offers Great Snowmobiling Adventures Continued From Previous Page That afternoon would be my first trail ride snowmobile experience. The day was brilliant sunshine, which meant we would be seeing some great views. Grand Adventures is a snowmobile rental company that offers four locations in the area and over 200 sleds available. They carry all 4 brands in different types of models for trail riding, 2 up and off trail machines. Lance Ward is the Head guide and Trail
Manager on the Winter Park side of Grand Adventures. He grew up in Los Angeles and has spent the last five winters in Colorado.” I love snowmobiling, the outdoors and the mountains. In the summer I ride dirt bikes, anything with handlebars and a motor is very cool,” said Lance who would be my guide this afternoon. Our ride began on the Grand Lake snow-
mobile trail system and went all the way out to Gravel Mountain. “ This is the Mecca and snowmobile capital of Colorado. This trail system is bigger than any other trail system in the state and has the most varied trails. Where we rode today is just a small fraction of where you can ride here,” said Lance. “ We started at 8300 feet and climbed up to over 11,000 feet in a few miles. There are some areas that go to 12,000 feet here.” The snow conditions were great here and got even better as you climbed the trail. We were able to see views throughout the county including the Mary Jane Ski area and the Continental Divide and Rocky Mountain National Park. “ We offer guides here to show you the area and to help you with your ride. There is every different type of terrain with meadows and powder and single tails as well as hill climbing. Some of the ISOC?snocross teams come here before the X Games to get acclimated to the elevation and experience the snow conditions that are quite different from other areas of the US, say farther west. Our big hills are south facing rather than north facing which makes for less Avalanche issues. Avalanches do happen but may get triggered higher up.” Grand County includes the towns of Kremmling, Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby, Grand Lake, Winter Park and Frasier. The county is about the geographic size of the state of Delaware. Grand County from Winter Park is located about 90 miles from Denver or about a 1/1/2 hour drive.
“ Snowmobiling is very popular because of the snow conditions and the towns are very snowmobile friendly. We also have Winter Park ski area, which is the fourth largest in Colorado as well as Granby Ranch Ski area. Grand Lake is the largest natural lake in Colorado and borders the Rocky Mountain National Park. It is resort town with interesting restaurants and shops,” said Gaylene Ore of Ore Communications. “ I like the outdoors with hiking, biking and fishing in the summer and snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling in the winter. There is so much to do. In the summer golfing is also big with 4 courses in the area. There are Dude Ranches as well with horseback riding. Fly-fishing is really great here because we are the headwaters for the Colorado River starting in Grand Lake. We get people from all over the world including Colorado, Texas and Canada as well as England and Germany.”
SNOWMOBILE NEWS OCTOBER 2013
It was fun to have breakfast brunch at Fat Cats in Grand Lake. Owner Sally who is from England puts on a great spread complete with fancy pastry deserts and tea! The next day of riding was near Granby at the Vagabond Ranch. Our trip began with being picked up at the highway entrance and snowmobiling in with a sleigh some 4 miles. Vagabond is a very unique backcountry setting that is off the electricity grid but offers luxury cabin lodging which can sleep up to 16 in one cabin. You can experience telemark skiing and snow boarding as well as snowmobiling. My guide today would be Jeremy who is an owner of Vagabond and offers brand new Ski Doo Summit 800 sleds that can handle any terrain. It was fun to experience some of the high elevation rising with Jeremy in this pristine setting. Continued Page 8
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Grand County Colorado Offers Great Snowmobiling Adventures Continued From Page 5 My third day of riding began with a fresh dump of 6 to 12 inches of snow and a trip to the Grand Adventures location at the Winter park Lodge Ski Area. The riding would turn out to be my best of the season with guide Snowmobile Steve and
Marketing Manger of Grand Adventures, Meg Mizell. Our ride began up the trail
years in the east when snow seemed to be more prevalent. That afternoon it was time for my final riding experience with Trailblazer Tours in Fraser. This experience began in their historic cabin with wood stoves burning and included some great single-track trails. My
ing their passion for the sport. I hope to come back to this area again and it is definitely one of the best snowmobiling I have
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ever experienced.
www.grandlakechamber.com
Special thanks to Gaylene, Jim, Meg, Lance, Jeremy, and Snowmobile Steve, Josh and Mouse for their help on this trip!
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guide was Josh and we rode with Meg again in some fresh powder though very
www.gatewayinn.com http://hernandospizzapub.com
with fresh powder and included stops at elevation to see a historic tressel and spectacular views of the Mary Jane Ski are. The sun broke through just for us it seemed. We carried on up to a great bowl area to play in the powder when the snow came back in and created almost a white out condition. As a snowmobiler this was fun for me and reminded me of earlier
beautiful terrain. Josh and his coworker, Mouse take great pride in their trail system here. Mouse makes sure the trails are well groomed and marked and you can really see the pride they take in their jobs. For me it was fun to experience Colorado snowmobiling. I especially liked being with avid snowmobile enthusiasts and feel-
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http://www.grandadventures.com http://www.grandadventures.com/index.ph p/snowmobiling/fraser-valley
North Central Co-op Inc. Freshmart Store 204 Elgin Street, PO Box 400 Welcome White River, Ontario P0M3G0 Snowmobilers! 807-822-2389 807-822-1272 ncci@renegadeisp.com
Welcome To White River Snowmobilers! Owners Marvin822-1876 & Joanne Picard Phone
126 Queen Street, Longlac, ON
Paws Northern Cabins Ltd PO Box 460, White River, Ontario P0M3G0 Phone 807-822-1987 peggydavejones@yahoo.ca
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We welcome you to the White River area and hope you enjoy snowmobiling here! Peggy & Dave Jones
SNOWMOBILE NEWS OCTOBER 2013
216 Hwy 17, White River Pat & Linda Leadbeater
Getting There with Control of Horsepower The latest tuners enable light truck operators to monitor, control and boost engine performance, especially when towing snowmobiles or other loads.
When you’re riding the mountainous backcountry of the Northwest and Canada eight months a year, sometimes just getting there is a victory. That’s what snowmobile virtuoso Tony Jenkins does routinely, driving a 350 h.p. Cummins-powered truck with a couple of snowmobiles on a bed deck, often with another four on a trailer he tows
many weekend warriors who haul snowmobile trailers in a quandary: Do they opt for a pickup with heavy-duty power and suffer the added purchase and operating costs . . . or simply accept the performance and mileage limitations of their 300 HPrange pickup when under load or climbing long grades?
Like Tony Jenkins, many of today’s pickup owners are opting for a viable, variable solution: the use of programmable tuners to monitor and control basic engine performance in terms of torque and horsepower, fuel economy and some engine safety parameters – without modification to engine hardware. “The Bully Dog tuner allows me to turn up the power on the fly,” Jenkins explains. “At the same time, you can monitor your engine boost pressure and temperatures, and can get your engine’s diagnostics as you drive.”
behind. “Hauling that much weight through mountainous terrain, there are many situations where I can really use some extra horsepower,” Jenkins explains. “At other times, my main concern is with fuel economy.” Jenkins shares the same challenges as others who operate typical pickup trucks today: they are often required to perform multi-tasking duties, ranging from transportation of the kids to the rigors of towing the snowmobiles, in a variety of environments sometimes at high altitudes. In Jenkins’ case, when the snow is gone, so are Tony and his wife, off to somewhere hauling a 28-foot camper trailer. The problem is, most light-duty trucks are inflexible as far as torque, horsepower and fuel economy are concerned. This puts
Performance) are available to accommodate various driving conditions. The selected setting is controlled and monitored by the tuner, offering the vehicle operator not only more power or economies, but also improved vehicle control via heads-up display of critical engine performance factors (e.g. water temp, oil temp, boost pressure). With some of the more sophisticated tuners, both horsepower and fuel mileage can be optimized simultaneously.
Consisting of a compact, dash or windshield-mounted control panel with wire leads, tuners are connected to the engine’s control module to regulate and monitor performance parameters according to vehicle load requirements and the operator’s desires.
“The tuner I use not only optimizes performance, but is also eco friendly,” Jenkins says. “It is a very affordable alternative to the risks that some drivers take, such as stripping off the cat converter or other illegal stuff that violates emissions standards – in order to get more power.”
Using a tuner it is possible to increase typical diesel or gasoline engine horsepower up to 25 percent, or to boost fuel economy significantly. Jenkins says the Bully Dog tuner he installed on his 2012 Cummins engine can add up to 120 horsepower, which has proven to be very useful.
To Jenkins, the user friendliness of his Bully Dog tuner is also a big plus.
“I have had to turn the power all the way up when I was on backcountry roads and climbing up to the snow,” Jenkins says. “And there have been times when I got stuck. So, I just reset the tuner for full power, and was able to hot-rod out of it.”
What to look for
Generally speaking, a variety of horsepower settings (e.g. Stock, Tow and
“Anybody can buy this system and install it in about a half hour in their driveway. It’s not a device that requires a mechanic,” he says.
When selecting a tuner, there are several criteria to consider. These include ease of installation, availability of a model that matches your vehicle’s engine, automated monitoring and control features (e.g. that provide maximum vehicle control and the capability to “dial-in” performance adjust-
ments such as horsepower output on-thefly). Bully Dog tuners, for example, are installed cleanly and easily in the cab by attaching to the OBDII port. Installers first connect to the Internet to download the latest software, ensuring that files are the most up-to-date. Then the tuner is connected to the vehicle using provided mounting accessories (OBDII Connector and HDMI cable). The vehicle-specific software (e.g., Dodge/Cummins, GM, Nissan or Ford) is installed by using the tuner and following easy steps on the tuner monitor. After calibrating the system, the operator simply dials in the operating and setup parameters that can be calibrated to the driver’s specific needs. To ensure that performance and fuel economy are maximized, Bully Dog has a tool called the Driving Coach available on all tuner models. The Driving Coach is an onscreen feedback system that gives drivers specific tips on how to improve their driving habits in conjunction with their tuner capabilities to enhance fuel conservation while getting more efficient performance. This feature can prove valuable, particularly on those long hauls to get to the perfect snowmobile spot. For more information, contact Bully Dog Technologies, American Falls, ID; Phone: 877-285-5936; or visit the web site: www.bullydog.com.
For Marketing Information Call
SNOWMOBILE NEWS OCTOBER 2013
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2014 Chevrolet Silverado: All New From The Ground Up! BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
NW Ontario Golfing News The truck business is big part of the automotive manufacturers overall sales and that is true especially in Northwestern Ontario. The big three of Chrysler, Ford and General Motors as well as Nissan and Toyota rely on trucks for lots of their profit. GM with Chevrolet and GMC has just released a brand new pick up truck that will make the segment even more competitive. “ The last major change of the Chevy pickup was in 2007. For 2014 it has been totally redesigned from the frame up. We wanted a 6 ft 6inch box on a crew cab and they provided that. (You can also get a 5 ft 8inch.) The motors are also brand new
with the 4.3 V6, 5.3 engines, and the 6.2 hauler engine. All have been totally redesigned. The engines are much more fuel efficient,” said Pat Spina, Sales Manager of Badanai Motors. “ The interior of the truck now has more of the I Pad look, with a lot of touch screen capabilities, three different radio options, back-up cameras, NAV systems, 100 volt plug ins for your computers, lots of power outlets and three places for memory sticks or to plug in an I Phone or I Pad.” When I sat in the 2014 Silverado, ergonomically it offers more legroom, more options on the steering tilt and position and a totally new cockpit. It is very comfortable. The exterior look changes are subtle but if you park a 2013 and 2014 Silverado side but side you will see them. The truck business is well over 50% of the
business at Badanai Motors, according to Pat Spina. The truck is becoming a people mover and is bigger and safer. “ This new Silverado truck has been a long time coming. Ford put a new one out last year. Dodge also put out their new truck. I think GM has a winner here with many new features we weren't accustomed too in the old truck,” said Spina. “ The exterior look is quite similar for a reason. GM surveyed their customer base and found they really like the look of the exterior of the truck. The changes are subtle, but it is a refreshed new truck. The air drag is better and there is more sound deadening equipment. We are sitting in a truck with cloth seats that has heated seating
2014 Chevrolet Silverado
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PAGE 8
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SNOWMOBILE NEWS OCTOBER 2013
which we couldn’t get before.” Pricing for the 2014 Silverado will be similar to last year pricing according to Spina. “ The incentive programs will arrive as it is a big part of the market and you have to be in the game with the right price. The customer has to get the best bang for their buck and we need to offer value. I think GM has a winner here,” said Spina. “ I love the truck. It is quiet. You have to really drive it to feel the comfort and the changes that have been made. The ease of using the features like the back up camera are great. We sold our first 2014 Silverado as soon as it landed. You can order a truck exactly how you like and we can get it landed here for you in Thunder Bay in 6 weeks.”