Page 3 of 3

PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:37 pm
by Princess Buttercup
Bob Burd wrote:It's just snowed 24" in the last 24hrs, still coming down, it's dark now and you're six miles from your car still. You stumble upon snowmobile tracks. Suddenly you are in love with the machines that formed these wintry roadways.

Image


Aw, man. NICE!!!

PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 1:52 am
by Bob Burd
1000Pks wrote:it's surprising that you should consider the opposing view with all of your efforts.


I think there's room for many forms of outdoor recreation, not just those I espouse. Except mules and horses and cows. Those suck, imo. Although I'm not sure cows are considered recreation.

Jury's still out on llamas. :)

PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:16 am
by Princess Buttercup
Bob Burd wrote:
1000Pks wrote:it's surprising that you should consider the opposing view with all of your efforts.


I think there's room for many forms of outdoor recreation, not just those I espouse. Except mules and horses and cows. Those suck, imo. Although I'm not sure cows are considered recreation.

Jury's still out on llamas. :)


That's it, Bob. I'm tying you to a horse next summer from my friend's pack station and we're going to bring in steaks, wine, BBQ, potatoes, salad, whiskey, those fruity f-in Mike's Lemonade things you drink and spend a week peak bagging in my backyard. NO WHINING!

BTW: Cows are recreation when you tip them. Or try, anyway.

PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:44 am
by mattyj
I was really looking for beta, but since there's precious little of that:

It's unfortunate that so many people immediately think "rednecks highmarking in the wilderness" when you mention snowmobiles. If it were some bureaucrat talking about banning climbing or requiring permits or mandatory ELTs because some dumbshit "climbers" wandered off a hiking trail and got cliffed out on a ledge again, you'd be pissed. How dare you pass judgment on an entire community based on the actions of a couple yahoos!

Serious question - are those of you who think I should get off my lazy ass and do all my approaches on foot the moment a road is covered in snow, even if I would have driven them a couple weeks before, equally disdainful of the crowds that show up when the UC opens White Mtn Rd up to Barcroft?[/i]

PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:47 am
by Princess Buttercup
mattyj wrote:Serious question - are those of you who think I should get off my lazy ass and do all my approaches on foot the moment a road is covered in snow, even if I would have driven them a couple weeks before, equally disdainful of the crowds that show up when the UC opens White Mtn Rd up to Barcroft?[/i]


Yes.

PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 4:27 am
by mattyj
Dingus Milktoast wrote:But sadly its like hunters - and the moronic drunken yahoos far out number the responsible ones. But you knew that!


Actually, no. I haven't met any of them in the backcountry. Generally, unless I'm in a popular snowmobile area (once walked from 267 to Watson Lake, which is a guided snowmobile tour route - that was fun!), they're few and far between, and the ones that are there are just fine.

To be honest, it's the same thing with hunters. Unless you call guys plinking cans across the friggin phantom spires approach road hunters.

Certainly popular OHV areas tend to be littered with trash, and I've camped in more than a few dispersed USFS sites with shotgun shells all over the ground and a rotting mattress near the campfire pit. But I do think that in most cases it's a small minority of users. It may be that I just haven't met the right people . . .

PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 6:44 am
by dskoon
My cousin and his friends use them on approaches to mountains and skiing in the Bend/Sisters area.
I think if the machines are used on approaches, ie. on roads, and then left behind where the road meets the mountain, and not used in wilderness areas, then all is fine, and that's where they should end, besides the obvious designated areas. I don't like the machines, and am glad Clinton bannned them from Yellowstone(only to have it overturned, to some degree, by GW.). But, they do serve a utilitarian purpose, and I have been towed by them at a ski area. To shorten the approach on an otherwise long ski in, seems reasonable. This is different than continuing on and seeing how high you can take them, doing laps on peaks, etc. Some, with the FS' consent, are allowed to take them up Mt. St. Helens. Matter of fact, one smart guy was up near the rim with his machine last winter(?), and he and his machine fell over the side a ways into the crater. Fucking brilliant. And the FS makes climbers pay a higher fee than the Snom-oer's, who pay virtually nothing. Unbelievable.

PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 7:15 am
by jibmaster
mattyj wrote:I was really looking for beta, but since there's precious little of that:


Well, that was to be expected.
There were a few gems in the last 3 pages though.
Especially what ^dskoon just said.
There are enough jerks in this world to warrant wilderness areas. It only takes one or two a-holes to ruin it for everybody. The world is full of all sorts of people...


I will have most of January OFF.
mattyj - I've got places to run your machines without any grief.
I'll show you First Descents that could be nabbed - only after driving for 15-20 miles on Forest Service roads to access the goods.
You are the perfect Coastal Crest Snow Patrol member...

Hulld on - it takes awhile...
http://www.thebackcountry.net/bb/viewtopic.php?t=138




__________________
Coastal Crest Snow Patrol

PostPosted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:39 am
by mountainvoodoo
Matty,

I've been following this thread and while I appreciate all comments, I actually live in Tahoe, frequent the backcountry, climb, snowboard, am in SAR and OWN SNOWMOBILES. I have done much snowboarding via the snowmobile by pairing up the rider and driver, the easiest way is for each to stand on the opposites sides of the tunnel and cooperatively operate the throttle and the brake. This technique makes much better use of the suspension, provides better balance, and allows for better climbing.

I agree that the machines should never be in wilderness or other restricted areas, but if the area is a designated OHV area and allows the use, why not.

For the record. I splitboard, and have been doing so for many years. I prefer to earn my turns in the solitude that others on this topic refer to. But, there are days when 10 or 12 laps on a 1500 foot face is the best option going.

Each year (March) we tow in supplies for a one week base camp. We then earn our turns from the base camp, never getting on the machines again until we leave.

Send me a PM