Preston Pride Hillclimb

We're back from our first race of the season....the Preston Pride Hillclimb in Preston, Idaho. The first thing I'm going to say about the race is how nice and helpful everyone was, as well as how well this race was run. Everything went very smoothly as far as staying on time and in order, and there was always a helpful and friendly face from the RMSHA board to help with any questions or concerns. Also, a huge thank you to Brett Rasmussen and all of the other hill help whose names we didn't catch. You guys helped out so much and saved the sled on more than one occasion....THANK YOU!

This type of racing is unlike anything we have ever done before. We thought it was just all about hillclimbing, but it most certainly was not. The first day was the qualifying runs up to the first cat walk. There were two lanes, A and B. Lane A was for all of the Pro Classes, and Lane B was for the Pro Masters, Semi Pro, Women's and Juniors classes. The whole bottom half of the course was a snowcross style course that weaved in between gates and had huge trenches and moguls. We weren't really used to riding that style, so we were definantly slower than everyone else through the bottom. My first run was Women's stock class, there were 10 qualifying spots, and 10 women competing, so everyone was guaranteed a spot in the finals. I was doing pretty good until the course broke out through some trees and went up the face of a rocky hump. I got off my line a little, and it threw me to the opposite side of where I wanted to be, right below a small aspen tree. Well, everyone knows the old saying, throttle is your friend, so I pointed the sled up hill and put the hammer down and drove right over the tree. The tree was a little larger and harder than I was expecting, and instead of bending over, it snapped in half and knocked the sled over and I was done for. The hill help rushed to my aid and got the sled turned around and I headed back down to the bottom. After that class, I found out that I had actually high marked 2 other girls, so I ended up finishing 8th out of 10 in that class for the qualifying round. My second run was for improved stock, which had 10 qualifying spots and 11 women racing, so there was going to be one racer not making it to the finals. By this time, about 3 other classes with multiple heats had ran and the hill had taken a lot more abuse from previous classes by this time so there were a lot more rocks and stumps exposed. I managed to make it all the way to the catwalk with a time of 1:42, which was about 10 seconds slower than the next fastest, however one of the girls ran into some troubles and didn't make it to the catwalk so I beat her out of the finals. So miraculously I qualified for the finals in both of my classes.

Derek also did pretty well for his first time in the Pro class. His first race was for 800 stock and although he was slow through the bottom snowcross style gates, he did very well on the upper half of the course, making it to the cat walk about 9 seconds slower than the next fastest time. After a few more classes ran, it was his turn again to run in the 1000 stock class. The biggest downfall of racing Pro 1000 stock is that there are so many classes who run before you, and the hill turns into an absolute nightmare. You have 600, 700, 800cc with stock, improved stock and mod classes who all run before you so you have 9 classes, some with multiple heats before you get to run 1000. You could tell that the course had gotten a lot worse since his last class, and he was really fighting to keep the sled on course, but because of his awesome abilities, he made it up to the catwalk with a time that was about 15 seconds slower than the next fastest. The great thing was that some riders didn't even make it to the catwalk so Derek placed higher than them. Although it was not fast enough to make it to the finals on either of his classes, he still put out 110% and did a fantastic job.

Our first ride with our sponsor

This past weekend we headed down to Saratoga for our last ride before the race in Preston on the 16th. Derek had talked to our sponsor Scott from ATI and he said that he and a group of buddies were either going to go riding that weekend in Steamboat or Saratoga, and that if they came up here that they would ride with us. We were both stoked because neither of us had met Scott in person at this point and we were really wanting to meet him. So we headed down to Toga early Friday morning, fighting 60mph winds the whole time of course. I must say, I am impressed by our trailer for the most part (other than the habitual flat tire). I think we were both a little worried about it blowing over in high winds, as that is quite common here, but we have had great luck....knock on wood. Anyway, we headed out, made it to 'Toga with no problems and checked into our room at the Hacienda. After fueling up, checking in and picking up a few supplies at the grocery store, we headed up the mountain. Once we got up to our usual parking lot, we realized that riding conditions were going to be quite different than they were the last time we rode. Gone was the fluffy, beautiful powder. In it's place we found hard tracks and wind blown terrain. Actually I think this is the worst I have ever seen the Snowy's, but in it's defense, the annual Search and Rescue Poker Run was held on the 1st so I'm thinkin that contributed to the poor riding conditions quite a bit. We headed out, Derek on the Assault, me on my old '04 Edge. We took off from the trailhead and boondocked into some pretty nice meadows that hadn't been slain which was suprising. I must say, as much as I enjoy riding the Assault, my Edge still kicks ass! So we played around a little bit, boondocked some more and then headed back to the truck disappointed about snow conditions and hoping that they improved before everyone showed up . After heading down the hill, we went to the Wolf and had some awesome burgers and then back to the hotel for a good nights rest.

The next morning, we awoke to about 2 new inches of snow in town so immediately things were looking up. We met with Scott and his friends Dustin and Cory as well as two of Dustin's employees for breakfast. After a delicious breakfast courtesy of Scott, we all headed up the mountain and to our surprise/joy there was about 4-6 inches of fresh snow. Not quite as nice as a dump of 2 feet would have been, but improved conditions for sure! We met with the owners of Sid's welding and some of their friends/family as well as one of Derek's co-worker/Scott's brother in-law and quickly our riding group had grown to 12. We took off down the trail (hwy 130) and found a few nice drainages to play in. In the first drainage, I was trying to carve to the right on the Assault, and with only a few new inches of snow, my track hooked up and threw me off balance, pinning my shoulder into the throttle. Well, I was headed straight for a small tree so luckily I grabbed the brake just in time to slow it down, however I still managed to gently bump into said tree. Of course everyone just had to be right there, including Scott. I'm quietly cursing myself as they are getting the sled pulled backwards from the tree and getting it turned around. Way to show 'em you can ride! So embarrassing. Anyway, we tore that meadow up and headed to another where we stayed and played for quite awhile. Around 1 the group from Sid's had to head back to the Casper for the Biker Ball, so our group was reduced to 8. Some of the guys decided they wanted to head to the lodge on the Laramie side of the Snowy Range so we all headed out on the highway in search of some grub. We came to an area where there was a restroom by Sugarloaf mountain and there was a pretty large hill that people were climbing. Of course Derek had to try it and I'm thinkin, "hmmm, wonder if I should climb it too?" I decided against it, at least for now. So we continued on, over the top where the wind was blowing violently and finally made it to the lodge. After everyone filled their bellies, we headed back the way we came. When we were going over the top, the wind and snow were blowing so bad that I couldn't even see the sled in front of me, and I could have sworn that the wind was pushing my sled to the side. After dropping back down to Sugar Loaf, we stopped again at the hill. Derek's climbing it, as well as Cory and Scott. So I'm thinking, "damn thats a big hill, but I am sponsored for hillclimbing, probably should climb it eh?" So I jump on the Assault and go tearin across the meadow and start up the hill. As I'm going up I'm thinking to myself, "this isn't so bad, heck I think I'm gaining speed!" All was great until it was time to turn around and come right back down the steep sucker. Well there was no other way to get around it, so I picked what I thought was the best line and went for it. Let me tell ya, going down the steep hill was A LOT worse than going up. Luckily, it was shaped like a big funnel and so I just hung on for the ride since there was really no sense in me trying to steer or brake since neither was going to do me any good. So it spit me out the bottom unharmed and in an adrenaline rush, but I was feeling pretty cool for climbing a hill that some guys wouldn't even climb! Anyway, we continued back, playing here and there until it was becoming dark and everyone was exhausted. After loading up, we headed into town with plans for drinks and dinner. Derek and I met Scott, Dustin and Cory at the bar in the Saratoga Inn for a few drinks and then Dustin treated us to a delicious dinner. After dinner Scott brought us each a bag full of cool things like hats, flashlights, knives, mugs, etc, all with the ATI logo on them, which I was excited about because they are all just more ways to advertise for such a cool sponsor. After dinner, we gathered by the fire in the lodge for another round of drinks and stories. What a cool group of guys we met. We enjoyed hanging with all three a lot.

The next morning everyone had to head home so we met the guys for breakfast again before they hit the road. After breakfast, Derek and I headed back up the mountain for another short ride before heading home. We went to some of our favorite spots to hit some jumps, but the base under the new powder was still pretty hard so we wrapped it up after a few hours and started to drive back to Casper.

Every day that goes by means it is that much closer to race time, and it gets my blood pumping. I am so nervous, but so excited at the same time. I just can't wait to see what the future holds for us. Derek picked up our jerseys from Jim at High Country Graphics, and if we could win just based on our jerseys, I think we would take it. He did an incredible job!! All of our sponsor logos should be on the trailer by the middle of next week, just in time for the trip to Preston. There is still a lot to do, but everything really seems to be coming together. I'm sure there will be things we will forget the first race, but that is to be expected the first time you try anything new. Well I think that's a long enough post for now. :) The next time you hear from us it will be after our races, so wish us luck!

February snow in December

We got our new trailer, loaded our sleds, and headed to !@#$%*^$@! (sorry can't tell ya yet). This place rocks.... I've ridden all over but as far as preseason riding...... whew wee!!! I'm talking 2 feet of fresh powder on top of 2 feet base.. What more do ya want for mid December?

We finally get to put the new Assault to the test. Right off the bat I'm wondering, "how come I'm still riding a tank"? Now don't get me wrong, I love my Edge, it's never failed me and has towed many SkiDoo and Cats back to the trail head(Yamaha's? Ah No, too heavy, leave 'em till spring). No offense but durability and dependability are what matters to me when you're way back in no mans land.

Anyway, about the Assault. My oh my what a machine! I'm very impressed with the agility, power, and over all ride. This sled is going to take our riding to a whole new level. I was very skeptical about the IQ chassis when it came out. So like most things, wait a few years and they should have it figured out. Well, ba bam. Here it is, the machine I've been waiting for. My back country sled. Talk of how it would do in the powder was pessimistic at first but I'm here to tell ya, she hooks up!!!

Check out the pics & vids........... headed back for some more on the 28Th...

oh yeah!!!

Maiden Voyage!

Today marks the first ride on the Assault. We hauled the Assault and Derek's '03 700 RMK 151" up Casper Mountain for a quick break in ride. Of course riding on Casper Mountain isn't exactly our cup of tea, but it's the best option we have for today. The temp was about -6 in town, but once we got up top it was actually warmer, about +12. We fired the sleds up, got geared up and took off across Bear Trap Meadow towards the Muddy Mountain trail. It was a pretty disappointing ride. Running over rocks in the trail is never fun, not to mention the lack of snow off the trail to cool off the sleds. We turned around and headed back to Bear Trap Meadow after about 20 minutes. We really opened her up a few times and the difference was unbelievable. The 700 did pretty well, but the Assault just walked away. The power that sled has is almost scary. We basically took turns burning up the meadow, dipping off into what little amounts of powder there was to cool it down. The novelty wore off pretty quickly so we loaded up and headed down the hill. We're going to be heading somewhere this weekend where there is a little more snow so hopefully we can get some more riding time in. Our enclosed trailer is supposed to be here this week so we're keeping our fingers crossed!! Can't wait for the weekend! Here are a few pictures from today....

First Ride of '09

So today was our first ride of the new season! We were both so excited last night that we couldn't sleep for more than a couple of hours. We spent most of last night getting the sleds fueled, greased, tuned and tweaked so 4:30 am came fast but we were so ready! Unfortunately we didn't have the Assault with us so we loaded up my '04 700 RMK and Derek's '03 700 RMK and headed down the highway. We met up with some friends on the way out of town and started toward Saratoga. We have never ridden with them before so it was sure to be an experience. There is always an air of excitement and maybe even a little bit of nerves when riding with new people. Once down there, we topped off and headed up the mountain. The group we were with parked in a lot that is quite a bit lower down the mountain than we're used to, so we knew that we were going to have to ride some trails to get up to the good stuff, which was kind of a bummer, but we weren't about to let that ruin our day.

After unloading, starting sleds, working on sleds, getting dressed, going potty, etc. our group of 10 (all Polaris sleds!) was ready to head out. We rode down to Ryan Park, crossed the highway and headed up the trail towards the steep and deep. After about half a mile of washboard and mogul trail riding, both Derek and I were itching to find the first meadow we laid our sights on and spin a cookie or two to help relieve the pent up frustration that can occur when two mountain riders have to ride trails. However, self control won out in the end and we continued on. Despite some issues with one of our friend's kid's sled, we finally made it to some deeper snow. We took a small break at an intersection of the trail which is next to a large meadow that has a creek running through it at the bottom of a small draw. Some of the wives took a break and turned off their sleds, the other group of us tore across the meadow like a swarm of bees. Derek and I took off as fast as we could and found some patches of powder to carve and creek drifts to blast through. It was glorious! After 8 months of praying for snow, it was everything we had been dreaming of. However, riding this time of year is always a little nerve-wracking, you never know when you're going to find a rock or stump hiding beneath the light layer of powder that is still not as deep as we would like it to be. A lot of the creeks and lakes were still not frozen over, and this proved to be a problem for our friend's son. I think he was watching the few of us who were jumping creeks and wanted to try, however his 440 fan cooled Indy didn't quite have the guts to make it through. He ran his front end right into the side of the wind drift on the other side of the creek. Miraculously he didn't land in the creek, so that worked for our benefit. Following some digging, pulling, snow bunje work and a few more stuck sleds, we got him out. The saying goes, "if you aint getting stuck, you aint riding!"

So we continued on our way up the trail, searching for bigger and better playgrounds. We ending up taking a lunch break up on top in a nice meadow with some hills to play on. Of course Derek and I couldn't sit still so we scarfed down our lunch and tore up some hills. After a few near misses with some stumps and rocks, we decided to head down the trail. Finally, we made it to our favorite play spot, a huge open meadow with hills all over the place. Everyone split up and headed their own way looking for their own little piece of heaven. Some people got stuck, but for the most part everyone was having a great time. I was working on picking lines and jumping back and forth over the seat, with SnowKing in the back of my mind. Of course, Derek was not satisfied with the small stuff so he took off up a small mountain searching for his next challenge. I have never seen anyone be so natural or "one" with a machine like Derek is with a sled. Its almost like watching a dance. It really is quite spectacular. Anyway, I went over to my friend and her daughter who were parked at the base of a hill. On my way over, I noticed a very large rock that had obviously been hit with a sled. My friend's daughter had hit the rock, and in some miracle, neither girl nor sled was seriously hurt. We posted up for a few, visiting until my friends husband rode over to where we were. He jumped off his sled ( '08 800 Dragon) and immediately began inspecting his left A-arm. Apparently he had whacked either a stump or rock and bent the bottom rods about 2 inches lower that they originally were. Luckily however, it did not damage his Walker Evan's front shock which could have been a costly mistake. After everyone gathered around, we decided that we shouldn't push his sled to the point of complete ruin, so we decided to limp our way home. We continued down our trail which made a loop back to where we started.

After miles and miles of trail riding (yippee!... lol) and just when I thought i couldn't inflict any more torture on myself by riding down a terrible trail, we arrived back at the highway and I knew that the truck was close. We loaded up, undressed, covered and secured the sleds before indulging in a shared Bud Light with our new group of riding friends. Unfortunately I had to work so we couldn't stay for dinner, but all in all the trip was great. Other than our friend's A-arm, everyone made it out safe and sound and had a great time. Derek and I are both looking forward to many more riding experiences, racing and riding for fun alike. We can't wait to see what this season holds for us

Finally snowing

the snow is finally falling and it makes me estatic....... i'm so ready for some throttle time....... go full throttle or go home..... that's how I like to ride...

we have a huge adventurous journey ahead of us....... most think we are crazy but I think we are living the life many can't..... most have other ideas of entertainment rather than out in the cold of old man winter riding a machine that makes riding in the clouds a reality........

I likes what I do and I do what I likes............

anyway......... like all dreams you wait and wait and before ya know it there ya are... doin it....... and then it's gone again and another season bites the dust......... i have extreme confidence that Marci and i are going to do quite well........... our RMSHA membership is paid, the sled is here, the sponsors are lining up, the trailer will be here soon, and now the snow (in Alaska known as termination dust) is flying...........

I personally am looking forward to meeting some of the greatest snowmobilers in the world...... with hopes of some cool friendships and maybe even some rendezvous out somewhere just to do some free ridin.......

out for now........ happy holidays.......

Welcome

A big Wyoming hello to those of you who are joining this blog. Our goal for this blog is to keep everyone updated on our racing progress so we are going to try really, really hard to post new entries as soon as we're done with every race. To all of our sponsors who are reading this, THANK YOU for giving of your time and money, as well as believing in us. We are so excited to see what this year holds for us and we hope that we will make all of you very proud. So here's the low down so far....

The first race isn't until January 16 and 17th. It's being held in Preston, Idaho and from what I can tell, it is one of the easier races in the circuit. It is also one of the closest races. All of our races, with the exception of Jackson, are at least a 5 hour trip...... one way. So, needless to say we are going to be spending a lot more time driving to the races than we are going to actually be racing. As far as equipment, our snowmobile is in, Barry from Karst is in the process of putting it together. Hopefully it will be done soon, as we still have to do a lot to it before it is ready to race. We are still waiting on our trailer. We spoke to Brent from CY sales yesterday and he said it should be here by Christmas. I'm hoping we will get lucky and get it sooner than that because it still needs to be plastered with sponsor logos, our logo, etc. Crossing our fingers on that one. We are slowly getting our gear together, Nate from Klim has been awesome to work with and we should be getting our jerseys from them soon. We will still need to get our bib numbers and sponsor logos on them before they are ready. So needless to say, a lot of stuff is still in progress. We are still on the hunt for sponsors, the more we can get, the less we have to pay out of pocket which will definitely help us. We're so excited we can hardly stand it. Now we just have to pray for snow! Thanks again for your support. We're looking forward to updating this again soon.

-Marci and Derek