Aaron Case » snowmobile

A Surprise Snow Adventure

aaron — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:55:41 +0000

A week ago the snow really started flyin here in Utah. Before that Salt Lake suffered from a severe high pressure inversion that really stacked up here in the valley. As the inversion shaped up and solidified, all the pacific storms would come in from oregon and washington only to bounce off of us here in utah. A weak storm led the charge and started pushing out the inversion, it didn’t do a very good job and struggled to put snow on the ground…the storm just couldn’t get it cold enough to turn the large amounts of rain into snow.
It continued to rain with an occassional effort to snow on Friday and Saturday. As luck would have it the second, stronger storm decided to do a real job of blowin out the inversion. The inversion started to leave and by late saturday it started to put some real snow down. In the higher elevations it really started accumilating some snow starting on friday. By the time Sunday got here it was really dumping.
Sunday night I got an email, text and voicemail from Dan Gardiner sunday night putting out the notice we were going riding.
YOU BET I WAS IN.
The only thing to deal with next was rounding all my gear up and then containing my excitment as I tossed and turned in bed. The morning took forever to get here but finally came. Got up, ran into work, wrapped up a few ends and ran out to the already loaded truck. Picked up Dan and ran to the Bountiful parking lot. We had to four wheel into the parking lot, got dressed, unloaded and it was time to play.
Fresh amazing powder all to ourselves. As we got up over the ridges and into the main riding areas we really started living it up. 24 to 30 inches of powder untracked and ready for us to tear up…and tear it up we did. Once we got in and found some good areas, I was able to watch Dan lay down some mezmorizing turns in epic powder. Luckily we had the camera out and filming, Dan will be showing us what it’s all about in Boondockers 6.
Obviously, things were great and we were living high on the hog in the amazing powder. You know it had to end sometime, I just didn’t anticipate it ending the way it did. As the day progressed, my M7 started acting up, all of a sudden it was 5:00 and time to go home. On the way out it really started throwing fits.
The second to last hill really posed a challenge and required several attempts and Dan breaking trail. The last ridge to climb was a bit more challening and didn’t offer the approach that the other hills did. The first attempt put me halfway and the numerous attempts following didn’t even get close to that. My cat just didn’t have it in her to make it up the hill. With the daylight gone it was time to leave her behind.
Gardiner and I saddled up on the XP and only made it about a third up the ridge. To my fat tushies surprise, it was time to climb my rear end to the top of the ridge. An hour later I finally made it, I hope it was less than that but wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t. Climbing in the dark, in the powder, a pack full of drinks and gear really posed a workout. After getting to the top, Dan and I doubled up again to start our way back to the truck.
Slowly, surely and coldly we made our way back to the truck, through the drainages, over the ridges and down the trail in fog and heavy snow. Two popsicles arrived at the truck 2 hours after leaving the M7 behind. As I reflected on leaving behind the M7 and the reality of leaving it behind set in, it was a really weird feeling. As I pondered, the plans started flowing and Friday I’d go and get her.

Aaron’s sled history

aaron — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:24:34 +0000

Its not anything late-breaking or earth-shattering, but I put together a history of the sleds I have sported over the years.

Visit the new page and check it out, Aaron’s Sleds.

Looking forward to hearing about and seeing some of the more recent or more vintage sleds from everyone’s sled histories. Post a comment asking a question or show us some of your sled history.

Here’s a taste of mine…

Busy, busy little bees.

aaron — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:55:54 +0000

Project number one and number two are progressing…definetly not progressing like they should or as I originally had planned but progressing never-the-less. It’s crazy seeing how fast time goes.
Got the sled all torn apart and got a realy good idea of what she’ll need to be up and running again.
Have been working with Caleb on the R1, got some parts ordered and the reassembly started.

Looking around…

aaron — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:41:07 +0000

As you can see, I was participating in the “I hate summer” fad that is currently gripping everyone in the wintersports world. I won’t deny any of my claims but I think that the topic has been covered and I will put all my effort towards not participating in it again. Nobody likes a broken record.

We all love the snow and miss it, but if you are like me, I don’t need any reminders as to what season it is.

The cool thing about summer is the chance I/we get to wrench on and baby our sleds. I do like that aspect very much. Very much, indeed. I am looking forward to having my baby back up and running in the next month but, hopefully less. I am waiting on a few parts that I need to finish my push. I recently picked up new a-arms and shocks because my old a-arms just couldn’t take it anymore. I need to replace my current spindles with some Power Addiction short spindles and I am in the process of picking up a Tri City performance bumper to take the place of all the plastics that couldn’t take it anymore either.

Right now I am working on my rear suspension, I have three seasons on my 900 rmk and you can tell. Nothing major, just some wear and tear. I need to replace my torsion coil springs and a couple of the plastic parts they have on there along with a few of the smaller parts. It will be really nice to have it all taken care of, I spent the last year riding on a blown suspension, I knew it was bad but didn’t know it was that bad. Got my shocks all rebuilt and now I just need to get a few other parts replaced to get it all ready to go.

Who hates summer? Bueller…Bueller?

aaron — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:43:26 +0000

I hate summer. I heard the worst news yesterday. While visiting a Stanley Consultants project office I was talking to one of the new employees. We talked about where he had lived, what he liked and disliked and something came up that surprised me and made me feel some sorrow. Living away from Utah so long, living in Arizona, Nevada and Southern Utah, he is now living in Salt Lake again and he says he MISSES the heat? “Now that I have been in the warm weather so long I would much rather it be warm than cold, I can’t stand the cold” he says…we say farewell to you my friend…you will be missed.

Be careful out there you guys. You would never expect it but you have to leave your guard up, the summer offers, dirtbiking, camping, wakeboarding, jeeping and a host of other activities to lure you away from winter. It is there to tide us over but NOT to REPLACE, those activities are only there to allow us to make THROUGH summer and back to winter. Remember friends, don’t let summer lead you astray. Keep the force, come on Winter, bring on the Snow.

The wait is on

aaron — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:31:37 +0000

It is not even the end of June and I already can not bear the urge to go snowmobiling. I find myself running through scenarios in my mind of how I can get to some snow, anywhere and anyhow. I contemplate getting some wheel attachments for the skis and carrying extra water to lube the track until I can get to the snow. That’s just a glimpse of my scheming. God be with us to make it through another summer.