Stop it already. Your killing me with those pics. Actually it snowed this morning, a whole 3/4'' of an inch. No longer can i look out at all the green grass in the yard.

 

I got stuck a lot my first time riding the steep and deep out west. You learn more as you go.

Tips:
Don't stop on anything other than level or slightly downhill or just downhiil. This allows you to take off again without getting stuck.

To turn get sled up on edge and counter steer.

If the sled is not on edge going across the hill your sled will go down the hill.

Pinch the throttle and wiggle the entire sled if you feel like you're getting stuck. This will help you get back on top of snow.

Practice practice practice.

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Pinch the throttle and wiggle the entire sled if you feel like you're getting stuck. This will help you get back on top of snow.

I am becoming an expert in this, pin and wiggle. Not to not get stuck, but to get unstuck...
What I too often do, is: stop, then try to leave with a little gas, and of course getting stuck. Then I need to pin and wiggle to get out of that situation and that usually works. Or not and then I need to digg a little and try the pin and wiggle again.
But that's the 'easy' stuck situations...
The tough ones are when I tipped over. And especially if I've tipped over off that embankment/road...

 

Combination of wrong type of snow and a bit of inexperience. I lean more to the wrong type of snow. Depth isn’t your issue, but heavy damp snow especially on the top layer is a killer. It tends to pile up in front of you and eventually it will lift you and take most of your traction away. So the trick is to be constantly swerving by tipping your sled onto its side and moving forward on an angle. Soon as you feel your forward momentum slowing down tilt the sled to the other side and keep moving forward. Every time you tipp the sled you get rid of balled up damp snow under the front of the sled and it gives the sled a break to climb on top of the snow again.

So think of it this way. Heading down that road going straight and you start losing momentu, that’s when you roll onto your side get rid of the buildup and carry that line again until you get slowing down again and then go the other way by tilting the sled the other way.

lots of riders can do this easy one way but have a side that isn’t as comfy. So you practise in a field just doing power turns both ways until you feel good either way. Then go try the trail, road path etc.

 

What are you pulling behind you, is it heavy? That can cause lots of extra drag. No problem on a groomed, or packed trail, but you are going to have trouble in really soft stuff.

The Titan should do well, the track is much wider, so more flotation.

 

What are you pulling behind you, is it heavy? That can cause lots of extra drag. No problem on a groomed, or packed trail, but you are going to have trouble in really soft stuff.

The Titan should do well, the track is much wider, so more flotation.

Not pulling anything behind?

I’ve never seen too much snow.

We use a phrase that we ran out of skills when we get stuck. Momentum and track speed are your friends. Gas it and blast through it.

LOL. Yes, I know my skill level isn't quite up there yet. And for some reason I fear giving lots of gas, even though I know it helps (or is a need at times). And that's when I mostly get stuck, when I loose the gas and the momentum.

But if I didn't get stuck at least once on a ride, I didn't try hard enough!

 

I’ve never seen too much snow.

We use a phrase that we ran out of skills when we get stuck. Momentum and track speed are your friends. Gas it and blast through it.

 

I've been stuck bad in areas with water overflow. When you ride alone you need to get real creative in those situations.

 

I ride alone mostly, and amen to that! Decided to go up a logging road with no tracks and no place to turn around without stopping ugh! What seemed like an eternity later, dripping with sweat and gear off finally got back on top of it. Start getting some crazy thoughts out there. Creative is right. Shovel is a great idea. Not alot of room on my tunnel

 

I always carry a shovel.

 

Having other riders and gear such as shovels, a snobunjie, or comealong are huge differences when riding in deep stuff.

Exactly that is in the box. Shovel, comealong-winch, straps, rope, snobunji-like things, hooks and a few tiewraps. Also a small standard toolkit (not sure if I could use it on sled issues). For the rest TP, second (and third) pair of gloves, socks, goggles, my glasses in case I loose one of my contacts, mid-layer jacket, face mask, something to drink and eat.
And in the glove box I have a folding saw, first aid kit and a bottle of water.
It think that's it.
Oh I have the more tool like stuff in the box covered, and making it thight so it doesn't rattle around, with quite a large piece of thin foam/bubble wrap like. Which could also be used as lining if getting cold, I could burn it, etc.

I do think I would have gotten out without the help, with all this gear, mostly with the comealong, but it would have taken me hours more and daylight was going.

I ride alone mostly, and amen to that! Decided to go up a logging road with no tracks and no place to turn around without stopping ugh! What seemed like an eternity later, dripping with sweat and gear off finally got back on top of it. Start getting some crazy thoughts out there. Creative is right. Shovel is a great idea. Not alot of room on my tunnel

You could wear a backpack just for the shovel! Though it should be easy to put somewhere on the tunnel of strap it to it. Especially if it's one fo these: Best Snowmobile Shovel Options - Snowmobile.com Just a few parts, small to pack, great to use. (I have one that looks like 5, bought from AliExpress/AliBaba...)

 

I thought that was a gear sled as well!

There can be too much snow based on the snowmobile and/or too much snow for the rider. Lot's of good advice here, but also on narrow forest roads one does have to be careful about pinching the throttle. I just saw a headline that there have been six snowmobile fatalities in MN so far this winter. The latest two were people who's sleds darted into trees. I frequently ride to my cabin in deep powder. On the open lake I go at a reasonable speed and pinch the throttle if I feel that I've hit slush. When I get onto my back trail to go the final 1/2 mile to my place, it's barely wide enough to ride a side-by-side with zero clearance and lots of turns, hills, rocks, stumps, etc. Pinching the throttle in deep snow leads to an early death. Know the conditions, the terrain, and your abilities. That will tell you if there is too much snow.

Having other riders and gear such as shovels, a snobunjie, or comealong are huge differences when riding in deep stuff.

 

Two mn fathers took their daughters to Montana a few yrs ago. Only this guy (me) has been to mountains before (been about 20 yrs). The girls and my buddy has a heck of a time off trail. The second day was much better when the trails were groomed.

 

How do you carry all that? Pulling a trailer? Kidding but you made alot of great suggestions for me in your post. Just picked up a tunnel bag and room is limited so currently trying to prioritize what to bring. Small, essential only tool kit is on the list and adding stuff from there. Just started thinking this through

 

I run two mountain addiction tunnel bags, I usually carry a shovel, saw, tool kit, sno-bungie, sparks plugs, belt, 5 sets of goggles, spare gloves, hat and a spare head sock.

When riding out west things are a little different. Run same as above but shovel must be on on you in case you get separatted from sled and have to dig someone out of an avalanche. So I were a Avy pack with shovel and probe inside of it along with some other emergency items. I where a beacon that straps around your body.

 

I think a folding saw and shovel are the bare minimum.
If you have the time, there should be a way out of almost every situation, if you could just keep digging and removing trees....

 

Idk about a shovel where i ride, snows normally not very deep. I can move snow pretty good just by using my hands and feet. For me a shovel would just be in my way.

 

I'm with too slow on the shovel thing. Furthest, deepest I get currently is the UP so I will not bring a shovel with. Ideally just the bare minimum amount of stuff for most realistic situations that I hopefully never get into.

 

If you don't think you need a shovel in the U.P. then you are really not getting off the beaten path.

 

As for the "nice things to have along" a ratchet strap can be used for many things.

Getting unstuck in open, flat terrain with "just a meter" of snow is usually easiest solved by creating a starting ramp by compacting the snow in front of the sled by just walking back and forth a couple of times and then kicking the snow away from under the boards so the track starts to bite again.
With some experience you will progress from getting stuck on the logging roads to getting stuck in much worse places! 😁

 

That's a part of the problem, there is no open flat terrain here. Only the lakes, but I don't trust crossing them yet.
So practicing and getting used to riding, the machine and the snow conditions is difficult. The unprepped logging road is the way to get to other places (still not really flat open terrain).
Ah well. I guess I'll have to try again. The snowconditions have changed. So who knows. And maybe someone else went up there, which might make it easier for me, to stay in someone elses track. (Usually not, but if it's from a wider track, maybe.)

 

Guess the logging roads are a bit different where you ride. Here the roads are narrow, go through areas with trees and usually go uphill, to get to the logging spot. And that logging spot is even worse, since it's littered with stumps and cut down trees, which you don't see under the layer of snow.
I like swamps/marshes for good practicing, though it does need to be frozen well, which isn't always the case.

 

Same logging roads, but still no trees on them, so open 😁

Best tip I can give is Look where you want to go, because you will more often than not end up where you are looking!! Look at a "dangerous" tree or ditch and you will inevitably end up there! So learn to focus and look at the spot you want to be at, not the spot you are afraid to end up.

 

The week between Christmas and New Years saw me making my first trip to our cabin. I went five miles across the lake into our bay and then hit our trail that curls around to the back of our cabin, a 6-8ft wide path through winding through the trees. I got stuck right at the transition to dry land as it quickly goes uphill and there was 2ft of mostly powder. I unhooked my gear sled, dug out the sled, and finally backed it up. I got up the hill and immediately found downed trees and drooping trees everywhere. About mid-way along, my sled slipped into a dip between a large rock and the trail. It was at an angle with the left ski pointed almost straight up into the air (against another rock).

Having used my Fiskers folding saw a few times already, I walked back and grabbed a 4" inch thick pine tree. I used the tree as a fulcrum, prying the snowmobile forward while pinching the throttle with my right hand. It worked and got me moving along and finally to my place as last light was fading away.

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That is hairball. Glad you got out. Bad enough to get stuck in the daylight. Night is a whole other thing. That reminds me, rechargeable headlight flashlight

 

Today the snow itself was frozen solid, so no real deep snow riding.
But I did have to use the shovel quite a few times at road crossings...

 

Looks like you just didn't go fast enough

 

Rule #1 Can't spare the flipper when trying to jump a snow bank.

 

I wasn't trying to jump it, but drive up on it slowly...

I guess too little gas (or dropping speed/gas) is a returning problem of mine. Just too scared...

 

I wasn't going real slow either. Those snowbanks were pretty hard, some were more ice than snow.
Some speed would have probably helped, but one snowbank I broke down with the shovel before even trying. It was just too high and too hard and icey. I think I would have crashed into it, rather than go up it, if I had tried (with speed).

But you make a few mistakes and learn from it.

 

Hopping snowbanks takes some experience depending how soft, or frozen. One should learn to ride a dirt bike well before sending a sled over a snowbank like that...sled hood components can be too expensive if you break something rolling a sled over.

 

Great point, and many times it is best to stop if possible and check the bank if needed. When we get big storms and brake trail if they are medium or larger, if possible we will most time check them first. Even knocking the top off with you boot can sometime save you or the ones behind you from issues. Nice thread and the riding across the pond and out west looks amazing !! Hats off to you guys for the effort you have to put in to get it done. 👍