Is this becoming to expensive to do?

[Lund]

Exactly

I used to work after hours when I lived in Alberta to come out once a month to ride here


Moved here and can drive 35 min at farthest and ride every day on weekends

Now I don't work at all after hours, and enjoy live rather than work

sent while drinking tea's

Location has nothing to do with his decision. He lives in North Van. and is within an hour of some of the most prime riding areas in BC. In conversation it never even came up. So i don't really know where that came from but i doubt its the reason.
I completely understand where he's coming from, like many already said its about priorities. In his case he either has to replace or refresh his current 2013.
What i get from him is this, he has been sledding a long time and he would like to try something new and possibly less stress on his wallet. He doesn't tell me that out right but i hear it with his comments like "savings".
He's been browsing the forum and i haven't talked to him in a bit but he did say there is lots of great advice and comments and its great to see many enjoying a great sport.

 

[LBZ]

The sport has definitely gotten more expensive for those that want the latest and greatest of everything.
I think a lot of this has to do with the desire to go farther back than before to find the less ridden areas.
We have been riding the same areas for 40 years but it sure is easier to get there now than back then.
Most of our group ride the same sled for years before replacing it, usually with one a couple years old. That is the only way we can afford to keep going.

Exactly.
You can still go out on a new machine that is the same size as the average one 10-15 years ago which was probably cock of the walk then for half the price of a newer 800 or 4 stroke turbo unit.

You may not get back as far as some people, but you will still make it to those area's people used to 15 years ago.

Only real increase is fuel and hotels. Trail passes are more as well but so is the quality of what you get for your money.

 

[Rotax_Kid]

I'm unsure if it's just my state in life (Married with 2 young'uns), past few seasons of poor local weather, or economy, but sledding seems to get more and more expensive by the year as fewer and fewer in my similar situation/age seem to be getting out anymore. I enjoy a few trips to the mountains a year, but it's getting challenging to find people who want to go. We used to be able to fill a 4 place trailer regularly and go riding, splitting the costs. Now we are loading decks with sometimes two, sometimes one machine and meet at our riding area. We really don't go on vacations, or really anywhere, so it's my winter vacation, but, looking 10 years from now, I hope my little guys want to go riding, because I'm unsure who'll be left.

 

[Lem Lamb]

I hear yha bro, never had much funds back then as I spent many years sleeping in my truck throw out most of BC snowmobiling, all good times.

Then 5 or 7 years ago I sold of the sleds and started traveling to warm get away, plan changed to a quad so I can get 4 season riding close to home here in Alberta /BC...

Bought a frugal priced little quad, set of tracks, and off to the bush with no trail fee, and camp fire lunches with good nights sleep under the stars in the wilds.

Best outtings are ones that are easy on the funds.

Lawn chair might be my next investment. Ha.

Find what works in the adventure in life as its worth a try.

Don

 

[tex78]

Location has nothing to do with his decision. He lives in North Van. and is within an hour of some of the most prime riding areas in BC. In conversation it never even came up. So i don't really know where that came from but i doubt its the reason.
I completely understand where he's coming from, like many already said its about priorities. In his case he either has to replace or refresh his current 2013.
What i get from him is this, he has been sledding a long time and he would like to try something new and possibly less stress on his wallet. He doesn't tell me that out right but i hear it with his comments like "savings".
He's been browsing the forum and i haven't talked to him in a bit but he did say there is lots of great advice and comments and its great to see many enjoying a great sport.

I was quoting dean's post

If you look

sent while drinking tea's

 

[DaveB]

Whatever you do don't work out how much it cost you per KM. Buddy just sold his 3 year old sled with 1000KM on it for 5G less than he paid and bought a 850. I think if you stopped every KM, took out your wallet and threw away a fiver you would really start to question yourself.

I used to calculate how much I would have spent on a rental sled....200 bucks a day. Used to get a new sled every other year and never felt bad about the depreciation doing it this way. I haven't been on a sled for 3 years now....miss it, but don't think I'll be coming back any time soon.

 

[neilsleder]

For me and my wife in this economy it got to expensive. Sold the sleds to get rid of other debt when the things started to get slow. It's not that we couldn't afford it I just got to be to much hassle also. I would work all day come home load sleds drive to the mountains, go to bed late get up early, go sledding all day, wake up early again sled most of the day, drive home, go to bed late and get up early feeling like a bag of smashed azzholes at work. It got to be to much. I will have sleds again!


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[Denali4me]

I used to calculate how much I would have spent on a rental sled....200 bucks a day. Used to get a new sled every other year and never felt bad about the depreciation doing it this way. I haven't been on a sled for 3 years now....miss it, but don't think I'll be coming back any time soon.

Been a while since I did the math, but you can probably rent ($400/day) 7-8 times per year for the same price as purchasing and staying on equipment no more than 3 years old. Yes, there are some drawbacks to renting, but it's so nice after a day of beating on someone else's equipment, just to jump off and head for the hot tub.

 

[snopro]

Been a while since I did the math, but you can probably rent ($400/day) 7-8 times per year for the same price as purchasing and staying on equipment no more than 3 years old. Yes, there are some drawbacks to renting, but it's so nice after a day of beating on someone else's equipment, just to jump off and head for the hot tub.

Depends on the operator as well you rent from. Seen lots of cases where the sled you get you wrench on all day just to ride or it breaks down because of poor maintenance. Some good rental operations and some bad out there.

 

[Bnorth]

It's expensive in relation to some other activities but as a motorsport it's not that expensive. By nature motorsports/extreme sports are expensive they involve high tech gear that is constantly evolving. The common theme seems to be that the travel is the expensive part. The actual sled and gear cost and maintenance are quite manageable. Being that I only travel once or twice a year to ride it's a pretty manageable cost for me. I can ride for ~$80/day, sometimes under that. That's less than a ski pass or a nice dinner out with the wife.

As said above buy year old machines in good used condition or as holdovers and save close to $5k on the purchase. Do your own maintenance and stay up on it so you can get 5 years out of the machine. Hunt for deals on gear and don't change it just because a new style is in vogue that year. Leave your sled stock instead of pouring thousands into aftermarket doodads. If you're the guy that needs the latest and greatest every season or two and needs to have the big fancy truck and trailer and pounds drinks while eating steak every night then yeah it's damn expensive but there is a middle of the road in this sport too.

 

[Denali4me]

Yes, very true Snopro, but both operators we use, replace a third of their fleet each year and we get priority booking, so we ride new sleds every year.

 

[Lem Lamb]

This is just an idea that was mentioned a month ago by a fellow I meet in my travels...

Some areas are charging good sums of funds for groomed trails, and yes it is pricy too have this as it makes the ride too staging areas up top well worth it, but it all so adds costs too a day on top of time to get too the mountains, fuel, food, and lodging along with snowmobile, gear, and maintance.

For those of us from way back remember doing sled trips to BC was affordable for family and friends, but things have changed now. "Mostly the cost" as its darn touting expensive in todays world,,, this is where we sacrifice things too continue the sport, or find other ways to enjoy being out-doors with the family and friends.

Don't get me right or wrong, "I love snowmobiling", but other things come first, so back up plan remains the same as I spend more time in the wilds less the drive, extra fuel to and from, camp in pick-up truck and eat bon-fire lunches for my weekends.

After 2 or 3 nights camping, I return too work that is 1 to 2 hours from home and plan the next outting over the short work period.

This allows me to save funds, time, close to home, gas and grocery store food on these outings.

Any-who, the idea behind this post is it would be nice if BC like Eastern Canada had a season pass that covers the all of BC for sledding.

Buy a weekly pass for those that get out once or twice,,, and yearly for those that like too rock and roll the season all year.

Only a thought as its up to the next generation too team up to get the province on board with province wide snowmobile fee.

If large province of Ontario and Quebec did it, why not BC.

One time fee idea is an idea only friends, keeps a level playing field between the clubs as each recives allocated funds for each zone or district.

Just a 2 cent thought from Pal Don

 

[ferniesnow]

This is just an idea that was mentioned a month ago by a fellow I meet in my travels...

Some areas are charging good sums of funds for groomed trails, and yes it is pricy too have this as it makes the ride too staging areas up top well worth it, but it all so adds costs too a day on top of time to get too the mountains, fuel, food, and lodging along with snowmobile, gear, and maintance.

For those of us from way back remember doing sled trips to BC was affordable for family and friends, but things have changed now. "Mostly the cost" as its darn touting expensive in todays world,,, this is where we sacrifice things too continue the sport, or find other ways to enjoy being out-doors with the family and friends.

Don't get me right or wrong, "I love snowmobiling", but other things come first, so back up plan remains the same as I spend more time in the wilds less the drive, extra fuel to and from, camp in pick-up truck and eat bon-fire lunches for my weekends.

After 2 or 3 nights camping, I return too work that is 1 to 2 hours from home and plan the next outting over the short work period.

This allows me to save funds, time, close to home, gas and grocery store food on these outings.

Any-who, the idea behind this post is it would be nice if BC like Eastern Canada had a season pass that covers the all of BC for sledding.

Buy a weekly pass for those that get out once or twice,,, and yearly for those that like too rock and roll the season all year.

Only a thought as its up to the next generation too team up to get the province on board with province wide snowmobile fee.

If large province of Ontario and Quebec did it, why not BC.

One time fee idea is an idea only friends, keeps a level playing field between the clubs as each recives allocated funds for each zone or district.

Just a 2 cent thought from Pal Don

Here ya' go Pal Lem...........................12 pages of it!

https://www.snowandmud.com/snowmobile-chat/108585-bcsf-provincial-membership-draft-proposal.html

 

[Lund]

This is just an idea that was mentioned a month ago by a fellow I meet in my travels...

Some areas are charging good sums of funds for groomed trails, and yes it is pricy too have this as it makes the ride too staging areas up top well worth it, but it all so adds costs too a day on top of time to get too the mountains, fuel, food, and lodging along with snowmobile, gear, and maintance.

For those of us from way back remember doing sled trips to BC was affordable for family and friends, but things have changed now. "Mostly the cost" as its darn touting expensive in todays world,,, this is where we sacrifice things too continue the sport, or find other ways to enjoy being out-doors with the family and friends.

Don't get me right or wrong, "I love snowmobiling", but other things come first, so back up plan remains the same as I spend more time in the wilds less the drive, extra fuel to and from, camp in pick-up truck and eat bon-fire lunches for my weekends.

After 2 or 3 nights camping, I return too work that is 1 to 2 hours from home and plan the next outting over the short work period.

This allows me to save funds, time, close to home, gas and grocery store food on these outings.

Any-who, the idea behind this post is it would be nice if BC like Eastern Canada had a season pass that covers the all of BC for sledding.

Buy a weekly pass for those that get out once or twice,,, and yearly for those that like too rock and roll the season all year.

Only a thought as its up to the next generation too team up to get the province on board with province wide snowmobile fee.

If large province of Ontario and Quebec did it, why not BC.

One time fee idea is an idea only friends, keeps a level playing field between the clubs as each recives allocated funds for each zone or district.

Just a 2 cent thought from Pal Don

I like your way of thinking

 

[rzrgade]

Wow and I thought sxsing was pricey ....


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[Drifter1]

yes it is pricey....i do a financial review every month and i can tell you that running 2 machines every weekend in the local Revelstoke/sicamous area we spend about $1200, this includes truck fuel but again, only 1-2 hours drive one way from the areas, not 10+ hours like most people coming from other provinces. Its a lifestyle for us so we prioritize...... we don't go on destination vacations and I drive an old car to work everyday.

 

[jhurkot]

This thread should be renamed "I think I'm getting too old to sled".


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[SavageCanuck]

This thread should be renamed "I think I'm getting too old to sled".


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Exactly for me I have been riding for 18 years and it's not so much the cost, but trying to stay in good shape at 56 to enjoy it like I used to. I'm currently on a 15 pro with low miles and extended warranty. I live 30 minutes from the greystokes so I don't have the traveling overnight costs. I usually don't go early in the season and break stuff. For me the cost isn't too bad, I usually keep my sled for 3 year's,good gear lasts .If I had to travel and overnight I would have given up year's ago. The price of the latest and greatest is getting ridiculous. I managed to find a new left over 15 M800 le 162 snopro last spring for 10k all in delivered to sicamous for my riding buddy.

 

[kenvb]

i have no argument on the high cost of snowmobiling.but i have never gone to mtns like most on here. started sledding in 1967..bought new in 1971. then every yr a new one till 89. stopped buying new after that. my income has been in the 6 figures when was self employed ..and now at 63 down to working seasonal in oil patch and at home in garage to around 20g a yr. but i do manage to find a 10 yr old sled every yr to rebuild during the summer and use in winter. my wife has just about left due to my snowmobiles.but after 37 yrs.she actually asked if she could try snowmobiling again this winter..??? she stopped riding in 1989.

 

[Hammer800]

With my kids activities I don't get a lot of riding time these days. But I would rather have a 2010 sled with 1200 miles on it sitting for 8 months of the year and being paid for than some of the other powersports where you have $100,000.00 tied up and only get to use it for a few months a year as well. Easier to stomach for me. Regular maintenance per year is minimal and minimal storage costs for my sled verses winterizing something like a wake boat and paying for storage somewhere. Better mileage on the sled too. Lol.

IMO.