Less sledding buddies to ride with

[LUCKY 7]

I find times are changing and there certainly is less of my friends around that ride. When I first moved to Sparwood in 96 due to a transfer with Finning there must of been over a dozen coworkers that rode sleds. Most of us were on 5x2 so were available to ride every weekend. Going up Coal creek was certainly an adventure. The pipeline was even scary on my big 440 indy sport. Almost 30 years later people have moved on or just got old or just got out of the sport. I am down to just a few guys that wanna ride and has kept up with the newer sleds. If I loose those guys that won't be good. What's it like for the rest of the S&m peeps??

 

[Caper11]

Truthfully, I am starting to see/feel the same.

With my work shift, and being away from home for 8 days, I have been struggling with the idea to leave my family on my days off to go sledding. It’s also harder to hook up with locals in my town due to their work shift being the opposite of mine. If It was not for this site, and making connections, my sled trips would be a lot less as well.
Hopefully it snows lots this year to rejuvenate the stoke for it, I only have 335miles on my G5.


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[pipes]

I'm pretty much in the same boat. The cost of travelling and riding in the mountains has part to do with it and I'm gettin up in age and don't have it in me anymore. A few years ago I learned that I bounce , I just don't bounce back. It's to the point that I listed my sled.

 

[HotShotHarry]

I got back into sledding in 95’. There was a lot action in the mountain sledding world then, a lot of aftermarket and private innovations being introduced that was opening up access to more and more areas and ar the same time increasing the fun level exponentially. With today’s new technology, the modification world has become somewhat unnecessary and for a lot of us older riders, that takes the fun factor down a bit. The majority of my riding group are in their sixties and looking for less physically demanding adventures.

 

[catinthehat]

As our group gets older we are riding less, with the high cost of new sleds we haven't been able to keep up with the new technology either. I am seeing my kids and their friends opting to spend more time with the family than sledding because they can't afford to have the whole family sledding. Back in the 80's and 90's you could get a family of 4 riding decent used sleds for under 5 grand, now you have trouble finding one decent one for that.

 

[lilduke]

Mountain sledding is a young mans game.imo


At least if you live in mountains you dont have all the travel, hotel and restaurant chit to pay for on top of the actual sledding.

 

[Sessionsdoo]

Moved almost every year for the last 4 years so made hard to find people to ride with. Also had one riding buddy that always rode with that didnt ride with as moved last year and couldn't afford to ride much the year before with me.

Luckily was able to find people on here to ride with over the years and try to get trips out with them but can be hard with work schedules.

Last year saw neighbors had sleds and talked to them and was able to get out with them some. Also sometimes just hit the parking lot and find people to ride with.

Be the same this year with moving to Willams lake. Have to find people to ride with here. Then make trips to ride with buddy in Kamloops and in Salmon Arm

 

[papajake]

Covid did it to us people changed and you can’t have a honest conversation anymore haven’t started the sleds in 3 years back in the 90s we were sledding every other weekend long trips to Mcbride and Valemount

 

[snopro]

My group lost one and gained one back but with the one guy working it makes it tough to get out as much as we would like. We used to go for 2 days almost every weekend , then down to every second weekend to sometimes once a month now to Revelstoke. The one guy only wants to ride Revy so that makes it tough but it’s a $500-$600 weekend out there now. We have finally figured out we could go for a week in Mesa and golf for the same money as 2-3 trips to Revy.
There are so many peeps riding now finding powder is getting tougher and tougher.

 

[ctd]

"my body is weathered & worn" from Toby Keith

 

[ferniesnow]

It is a dilemma for sure. When I started mountain riding back in Elklford, I found most of the locals were out for a ride and many wobbly pops on their days off. Stress relief they said. It was difficult to find riders with similar intentions that fit in with my ideals; avalanche wary, no drinking, and keeping an eye on the group. Most of whom I found were older wiser men and all had quit or died before I decided to ride in Fernie with flatlanders. They would spend a lot of money on the sport and saved the drinking for the bar or hotel. It was interesting that all the people I rode with were seldom even hung over the next day and totally enjoyed the riding.
Today, I am still searching for people who like to be meadow muffins. The climbing still isn’t my forté and I am in awe of the endless meadows/trees with all the white powder. Not a lot of young people are into that type of riding. I have found some older riders in the Shuswap that ride similar terrain but as the OP stated, they are getting less and less.
I will reach out again for riders this coming winter and I will find new contacts and I will see how it goes.

 

[moyiesledhead]

I've been riding since I was 12 years old in 1968, and to be quite honest I've lost a lot of interest in it the last few years. Old bones haven't helped. High cost of the sport these days hasn't helped either. It's quickly become a rich young man's sport. When we started our club in Moyie gotta be close to 15 years ago now as a Snowmobile and ATV club, it was mostly sledders. Now we're overwhelmingly just a bunch of old ATV'rs. Young people don't seem to want to get involved in clubs any more, and yes Covid was a huge hit. Locking people in their homes for 2 years turned most into hermits, and I don't see it going back. Sad times.

 

[papajake]

What pisses me off more than anything is the people that you knew and rode with for years turned into rabid dogs after the experimental jab was introduced

 

[snopro]

It is a dilemma for sure. When I started mountain riding back in Elklford, I found most of the locals were out for a ride and many wobbly pops on their days off. Stress relief they said. It was difficult to find riders with similar intentions that fit in with my ideals; avalanche wary, no drinking, and keeping an eye on the group. Most of whom I found were older wiser men and all had quit or died before I decided to ride in Fernie with flatlanders. They would spend a lot of money on the sport and saved the drinking for the bar or hotel. It was interesting that all the people I rode with were seldom even hung over the next day and totally enjoyed the riding.
Today, I am still searching for people who like to be meadow muffins. The climbing still isn’t my forté and I am in awe of the endless meadows/trees with all the white powder. Not a lot of young people are into that type of riding. I have found some older riders in the Shuswap that ride similar terrain but as the OP stated, they are getting less and less.
I will reach out again for riders this coming winter and I will find new contacts and I will see how it goes.

If you can’t find a RIO I will ride with you Maverick.

 

[ferniesnow]

I won’t use COVID as an excuse. The cabins generally had common sense people without masks and there didn’t seem to be any discrimination in the parking lots. One advantage I have is being retired, I am not just riding on weekends but that in itself makes it difficult to find riders free during the week.

 

[ferniesnow]

If you can’t find a RIO I will ride with you Maverick.View attachment 274197

Haha............I have a bed, rum, and great food Ken. It is only another 40 minutes from Revy.

 

[Outwest1]

I agree with all points on here. Used to go with 4 buddies every weekend and then they started family's and sold off and now with the cost of it all to get back into it even with the kids grown up now they have taken up other interests. The wife and I go now for 3 to 8 day trips now to make the travel costs a little better but still not cheap. Would be nice if more places allowed over night stays in the staging areas to save on costs of lodging but I get where they come from with garbage and such left behind and such

 

[snopro]

The biggest expense now is rooms in my opinion. I asked the gal at the Days Inn in Revy last year what they felt justified yet another price hike.? They haven’t done renos yet the price keeps going up. She had no answer. Must be the cost of Eggo’s going up lmao

 

[Lem Lamb]

I jumped out of sledding all of bc after a 14 year stint,,, rapped up operations in 2011/12...

Sleds jumped in price,,, fuel went up,,, hotels,,, trail pass,,, truck/ trailer/ deck and all the bling...

$$$$$$$$$$

I switched hobbies and added frugal winter time biking into the mix...

1 hour from home,,, no hidden costs less a broken chain,,, frugal day lunch and a great way too stay active...

I get the same mountain tops that I use to get on the many sleds I've owned over the years...

Don't get me wrong or right since i loved sledding,,, 14 years of bc,,, 2 of those years = 440 days pounding... lol

Best winter time sport going...

Age,,, time,,, funds all played a part...

Correct,,, I miss sledding but life moves on,,, I play with in my means now days,,, take on the frugal easy stuff,,, stay locally as often as I can...

Added in other hobbies and activities that keep life simple...

Neither of these units require much maintenance too keep them running...
Less wear and tear on the truck,,,, nill for wear on the trail bike...

Mind you,,, i got lucky not having any big wrecks in my sleds dsys... lol...

Kinda sad too see the cost of things these days...

None of us like an expensive Canada...

Cheers all

 

[Rjjtcross8]

I personally ride more locally these days, nothing beats riding most of Saturday, having a good lunch and still having time to get home and turn on the oilers game. Hopefully get back to the mountains in a season or two, only see it as one trip a year thing however.