Let's start with some SNOWMOBILING REVIEWS
by Chris Carter

ILLINOIS - NORTHERN WISCONSIN - COLORADO - ITALIAN ALPS

I grew up in Illinois. It used to snow when I grew up the 1970's. Today it doesn't snow enough to own a Snowmobile in Illinois. Anyone who denies the climate is chagning has never owned a Snowmobile. I would say the first half of the 1990's was the beginning of the end. By 1999 it was over for Snnowmobiling in Illinois.

It sure was fun while it lasted! I used to snowmobile on the big corporate Headquarters real estate because it was smooth landscaped large pieces of land. You could tell it was the last days of snow so you would always have our snow gear in your vehicle at all times ready to go whenever it snows. You were ready because it might be half gone by the next day. A heavy snow was jolly good fun to go "Outlaw Riding." Thats where you zip down the streets hit the bike paths go anywhere and everywhere because when its snowing the cops have no interest in chasing a snowmobile.

My first Snowmobile. It was an 80's Yamaha Exciter 440. That engine was considered big at the time. It was bigger than the 340 and the puny 240. Today you got a 800 and thats not even the really big ones. Well, my piece of junk Yamaha did almost 70mph that's enuff to kill you when you hit a tree.

By the 1990's I moved to downtown Chicago and I had nowhere to put the snowmobile. So I left it in the back of my Toyota PickUp truck. The snowmobile was a beater 80's Yamaha Exciter 440. In those days a 440 was still cool, to be real cool you had a 600 or 650. Today you have an 800 or 900 if yer cool. I would occasionally take the snowmobile out, in downtown Chicago, yes i invented "Urban Snowmobiling" (it never caught on as a sport). Like I said about the suburbs, when its snowing the Police don't bother to chase snowmobiles. Not in Illinios.

One time I drove over to the Run And Gun anmation studio party, I parked closeby and backed up into a snowbank to unload the sled. I didn't have a ramp so it was always tricky getting the snowmobile in and out of the bed of the Pickup. I unloaded and drove the snowmobile to the party. It was this big Warehouse in a brick warehouse building. I walked into the party with snow boots holding a helmet and they thought it was a costume but I said No man i came here on a snowmobile.

It was a great excuse to give girls a ride, a good line is, "hey would you like to ride on my snowmobile" they are like huh are you serious. Of course I am. I'd just go around the blocks there, thru the alley. On one of the runs Cop car pulls us over in the alley. I thought oh shit, but the cops were actually on our side, they were fearing for our safety. One of them was a Snowmobile guy. This was not a good neighborhood to be out at night and they scolded us and we went off on our merry way.

The Urban Sledding never became a thing I'm the only one I ever heard of that did it. I snowmobiled to some of the bars in Wicker Park, like the Rainbow. You walk in with the helmet they were like what the hell did you ride in on, in the middle of winter, in Chicago.

I had some good snowmobiling by the Calument Sag Canal. There were motorcycle trails all up and down that Canal so I knew the area from that. For some more fun we would go to Northern Illinois. Snowmobile on the "Chain of Lakes" just below the Wisconsin border. The lakes are all frozen so it was cool to go from bar to bar. The beauty of snowmobiling is you could go at night.

COLORADO

When I first snowmobiled in Colorado I realized how different it is. My favorite place is Grand Lake known as the Snowmobile Capital of Colorado. “On The Trail Rentals” wants everyone in before nightfall. There is no bars, restaurants, just big dark mountain wilderness. Get lost at night and never be seen again. Oh course down in the town of Grand Lake you can get around at night but it’s not like Wisconsin where the towns are closer together. 

Grand Lake Colorado Snowmobiling

This was Grand Lakes. This little side trail kept going up and up and getting narrower and steeper so we couldn't turn around and we couldn't stop. The photo is at a flat spot where we could finally stop. That trail was like an eggshell. It had a thin crust on it that would fall through. We very wery carefully went back down the way we came up. Going downhill was easy. If you go off the main trails never do it alone and be ready for anything. Just because you see someone else made tracks doesn't mean it's a good idea. I keep forgetting that.

That's Colorado.
Here's me stepping off the side of a trail we never should have gone on

Grand Lake I got stuck behind that tree. It was almost 3 feet deep powder back there.
A lot more throttle and I would have made it. I dug myself out.

In Colorado everything is so spread out and really huge. Grand Lake is next to the Araphoe National Forest. There’s lowland trails and meadows, then you have the mid level forest trails and way up top is above the tree-line all wide open with gigantic runs up the side of the mountain. You can get a Touring Sled the first day, second day get a Racer and the third day get the big Mountain Sled. The trails are groomed and well marked. If you go off the trail following some rogue tracks you better know what you’re doing. If you get stuck they charge $250 to come tow you out and it wastes your day. Above the tree-line you can see tracks going up 20+ stories high. Don’t get stuck up there. 

Snowmobiling in Aspen was more family oriented. You’re guided and can’t go on the mountains but we had a really nice lunch in a cool Cabin and they give you some history of the area. Winter Park is on the way to Grand Lake and it has great forests and meadows but not the big mountains. Vail Has a little bit of everything but seemed to me good for locals only. Everywhere in Colorado is probably good if you have local knowledge but relatively speaking I think Grand Lake has the best of everything. Last year a huge wild fire almost burned up "On The Trails Rentals" Office. Some of the trails have been effected by the fire. 

EUROPE

Where the hell is the snowmobiling in Europe?

EUROPE 

In 2017 I was on a Army Reserves tour with NATO in Belgium. I told my Buddy Jonny Foy in London we’re going snowmobiling in Europe. This is the same Jonny that met us one time in Grand Lakes. From London. He was late, so he took a Cab all the way from Denver Airport to Grand Lake and made it 20 minutes to midnight New Years Eve. Don’t do that. 

Where do we snomobile in Europe I have no idea. Who has snow? In Europe all the snowmobile action is in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. I wanted something closer to Belgium. The only one I could find is in Madesimo, Northern Italy by the Swiss border. Madesimo is a lovely little Ski town in the Alps. From London we drove Jonny’s Range Rover onto the Chunnel train to France, on through Switzerland to the Italian Alps. Arriving in town we saw these giant marshmallow things all over. It was parked Cars. Completely covered with 2 and 3 feet of snow. Few days before was the worst blizzard they had in 6 years, it buried the town. Good timing. 

We stayed at the Europa Hotel down a mountain. That windy road was incredibly entertaining each morning on the way to Team Adventure snowmobile rentals. 

We checked in for our 3 day rental, twilight and darkness was coming. It was horribly windy, the snow was almost going by sideways. Back in London on the Phone with them, I was whinging about ONLY guided tours. Now having just gone through Swiss mountains and Italian Alps I forgot all about it. They asked if we wanted to go out right now. You could hardly see it was blowing around so much. Okay. We’re Snowmobiling in Italy let’s go.

It was such whiteout conditions you could barely see the Sled in front of you. The Guide dude really took off he made it fun for us. It got dark fast then we couldn’t see anything. The trail became narrow in some spots and a sharp corner would come, if you miss it you’re off into the drifts. We only dug Jonny out once. 

The next 3 days were clear, calm and bright. Gorgeous scenery with the Alps all around. They took us to the Swiss Border. It’s just a sign post that’s it. Everything was perfect I didn’t mind having a Guide at all. I can’t say how a typical winter is there. I can say the whole place is beautiful. On the way back we went South to Milan turning towards France through the famous Mont Blanc Tunnel to the French Town of Dijion. Yes the mustard people. Then back to London.

iPad video recording the road “Via per Motta”
from Hotel Europa up to Madesimo.

This road winds its way like a snake up up and thru little tunnels to the Ski Resort.


Via per Motta to Madesimo VIDEO



 
Here's some video in starting in Belgium and then we're driving onto into the Chunnel train. It angles downward, then back up, beneath the English Channel to France. You can see some of the small tunnels on that Via per Motta road going up to Madesimo. There's a short clip of snowmobiling in the Alps.
The video ends with the Mont Blanc Tunnel at the French border.
Belgium to Italy Video - Snowmobiling the Italian Alps

Italian Alps near the Swiss border

This is on the way to the Swiss Border from Madesimo Norther Italian Alps.

Kentucky Off Road Parks

Wow Kentucky is a serious place for serious trails. There's at least over a dozen world class ATV Parks. I went to WildCat Off Road Park. with a small dirt bike. The Kawasaki KDX 140 is inbetween a Enduro and a Mini Bike, perfect for reconasissance to see what's its about.



KENTUCKY OFF ROAD PARKS

Hatfield McCoy Trails - Bearwallow

Hatfield McCoy Trails - Warrior

Hawk Pride Offroad

Hollerwood OffRoad Adventure Park

Kentucky Adventure Trail

Leatherwood Offroad Park

Mine Made Adventure Park Ma

Patawomack Adventure Park

Pickett State Forest OHV Trail

Redbird Crest Trail System

Rocky Ridge Offroad Park

Royal Blue

Rush Offroad

Southern Missouri Offroad Ranch (SMORR)

Southington Offroad Park

Spearhead - Stone Mountain

Spearhead Trails - Coal Canyon

Spearhead Trails - Jawbone and Coal Canyon at Jewell Valley

Spearhead Trails - Mountain View

Spearhead Trails - Original Pocahontas

Spearhead Trails - Ridgeview ATV Trail

Stony Lonesome OHV Park

Top Trails

Turkey Bay Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area

Wildcat Adventures Offroad Park

Windrock Park

Wrights Area 252 Riding Park