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172miles/275Km's
Killer snow! Just like in the
Killer Norwegian movie! Emma Lake received several inches of
snow on Friday, then more overnight, and it was snowing heavy Sat AM, when
we called up to say were on the way! The sun had broken out and they had just
cleared the snow away from Sunset Bays parking lot before we got there. We left
Saskatoon by 8:30 am, unloaded in Macdowall and "got sled'n" by 10:00 am and
rolled in to Holbein for fuel after the first 40Km at 10:50 am. We pulled up to
the fuel pumps for some premium at Sunset Bay at about 1:30 pm. After a gourmet
meal we left Sunset at about 3 o'clock, hitting Holbein again at about 6:00 . We
were back to load up at Macdowall by aprox. 7:10 pm. The sun was just out of
site and we definitely have had our fill for the day, it was 171.8 miles
on the Snocruise F-5 trip meter and showed 275Km [169.7 miles] on the Snocruise XTC.
Many times my F-5 was down to 30MPH in the deepest snow just to
maintain.........forward momentum! Skis and nose of the sled was
aimed in the
proverbial airplane stick shaker position! The F-5's narrow track was leaving a
2' foot deep
trench, everywhere in this Saskatchewan dry powder, this is not a deep snow
sled! It needs to get on top and go! The snow was crystal smooth in any areas
within 1/2 a mile of the forest or many tree lines. At one place where we
stopped to play, the drifted in
snow was "over the hips and we were still not touching bottom". Nothing
like the sensation of your snow suite legs, being jammed up over your knees
every time you moved!! Our only hope there, was to turn the F-5 around and get
it facing down hill. There would be no chance I'd take a 600 lb 121, or a group
of rookies, anywhere near most of this! There was a few sledders in our
group, who would roll there bodies over the snow to help you out, but under no
circumstances were they driving their sleds anywhere near you!, [ and one was
like a 1.5" 136] And the truth is we didn't have to ride in this
deep of snow, but of course, we had
groomed trails to ride up near Emma, and we
could of ridden firmer middle land snow, but you know what they say about
variety... the spice of life! Last weekend 11-07 a couple of riders compared the Nisbet back county and its associated work out, to a trip they had made to the
mountains! Except we only rode in the mountain like snow conditions when we
wanted to! That point being made, WE GOT OUT OF THE NISBET BACK COUNTRY at their request, and rode the
rolling fields, where the Macdowall poker derby went, where you could get up on
top and run 70 or 80 mph. Some of this weekends mountainous riders were
comparing the prairies to their repeated trips to the mountains! Except a full
back pack of gear wasn't required, the weather was our friend, and the biggest
threat to our safety was in the fields................those
hazards!
On the back on the many middle land snow covered fields, where
you could get up on top, 75 to 77 mph was the norm, cutting
across the Bell Lakes on our tracks 80-81 was flashing on the
digital, fast enough for anyone with the 2" paddles to send them
riveting off the track thru the rear flap! |
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