Riding in the Slocan Valley?

[Modman]

Hard pass on anything that needs that amount of work with a price tag like that. It's just ridiculous, honestly. I'm going to hold for now and see what I can discover out there for riding areas. I will keep in touch for sure. Thank you!

Just rent for now if you are planning on staying long term in the winter (like 2-3 months). Pricing is out to lunch right now because of COVID and high timber prices but the govt will need land sales in the next couple years because they have blown too big of a wad on forest fires this year not to start selling land to collect taxation IMO. This should drive pricing down, and also as COVID settles, things will normalize.

 

[Modman]

... I have been riding out there close to 15 years and most likely putting first tracks into many of those zones for the first time the last several years.

I'm glad that people are accessing some of the terrain in these areas, or opening up different terrain that can and should be considered new again. We pioneered tracks into a lot of places back in the day, we just did it when the snow was harder since we didn't have the power to do it in January back then, we did it in April and May (i'm talking 30-40 yrs ago). Some areas have opened up with easier access from logging etc, and some will be officially new tracks that you've cracked, but many areas we used to ride mainstream have been lost with time, deactivations, or closures. The forestry doesn't want to pay to maintain many of the roads anymore, access at the bottom has become private or gated, etc etc. Many issues have reduced exploration into some of these zones, but its good to see people pushing into them with the newer capable sleds, we need pioneers and riders willing to access as much of the terrain as possible for the sport to survive.

We used to ride Record Ridge at Old Glory every April like clockwork, probably one of the best views in the region, sadly closed now so that a few people can ski tour there. Could ride to the Bullet from Hadikin's from the Trail side but access at the bottom was privatized and then closed, for a few years you could come in off the Paulson side after they logged, but then that became overgrown and deactivated but then they logged off the 3B a couple years back and you can access from the west now, seems like its all new terrain but I got pics on my 95 Summit of the last year we bushwacked in from the Paulson side. I can remember riding Empire off the ridge from Copper above Blewett, only way you'd get a sled up the west now is by heli due to Cat skiing and lack of access. Guys tree bashed in a few yrs back from the east and found new access from the east, we were showing them pics of an old wildcat sitting on the ridge looking down on the lake from about 25 yrs earlier.

I have old 8mm footage from 1961 of the first road they put into our place, used to take an entire day to go 12 kms with winching and laying logs in the spring, now you couldn't find that road if you tried but they just put in a brand new road that opened up a whole new mountain side. What's old has become new again for others to explore. Keep exploring that new stuff, it will help keep pushing the sport forward and will let you see so much more than what many others get to experience.

 

[MP Kid]

I'm glad that people are accessing some of the terrain in these areas, or opening up different terrain that can and should be considered new again. We pioneered tracks into a lot of places back in the day, we just did it when the snow was harder since we didn't have the power to do it in January back then, we did it in April and May (i'm talking 30-40 yrs ago). Some areas have opened up with easier access from logging etc, and some will be officially new tracks that you've cracked, but many areas we used to ride mainstream have been lost with time, deactivations, or closures. The forestry doesn't want to pay to maintain many of the roads anymore, access at the bottom has become private or gated, etc etc. Many issues have reduced exploration into some of these zones, but its good to see people pushing into them with the newer capable sleds, we need pioneers and riders willing to access as much of the terrain as possible for the sport to survive.

We used to ride Record Ridge at Old Glory every April like clockwork, probably one of the best views in the region, sadly closed now so that a few people can ski tour there. Could ride to the Bullet from Hadikin's from the Trail side but access at the bottom was privatized and then closed, for a few years you could come in off the Paulson side after they logged, but then that became overgrown and deactivated but then they logged off the 3B a couple years back and you can access from the west now, seems like its all new terrain but I got pics on my 95 Summit of the last year we bushwacked in from the Paulson side. I can remember riding Empire off the ridge from Copper above Blewett, only way you'd get a sled up the west now is by heli due to Cat skiing and lack of access. Guys tree bashed in a few yrs back from the east and found new access from the east, we were showing them pics of an old wildcat sitting on the ridge looking down on the lake from about 25 yrs earlier.

I have old 8mm footage from 1961 of the first road they put into our place, used to take an entire day to go 12 kms with winching and laying logs in the spring, now you couldn't find that road if you tried but they just put in a brand new road that opened up a whole new mountain side. What's old has become new again for others to explore. Keep exploring that new stuff, it will help keep pushing the sport forward and will let you see so much more than what many others get to experience.

30-40 years ago…..?
My god…. how old are you man..??!!

 

[ctd]

30-40 years ago…..?
My god…. how old are you man..??!!

Sounds like my age & I will bet he get around on the mountain.......

 

[Modman]

30-40 years ago…..?
My god…. how old are you man..??!!

Bodies over 40...mind's only 20.....LOL. I guess probably closer to 30-35 years if I actually start counting, earliest would have been about 38 years. I was a kid / teenager way back then, but its hard to believe its 2021 already.

I'm not a wildman like you young guns, don't expect me to jump around on my sled like a Burandt bunny on a pogo stick. I grew up old school, we had no power and no paddle tracks, no rider forward etc etc. Used to take us all day to go up "8 Km Hill", leap frogging each other and walking ahead of your sled when it got stuck. We earned every inch of the mountain. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the sport has advanced, the new sleds just ride that much nicer and those old days were a lot of work for what we rode. Powder days I followed my dad and his buddies until we were all stuck (usually I got stuck first since I wasn't aggressive enough with the throttle), then you dug out and turned around, take another run. Now that terrain seems like kids play for our sleds. We rode everywhere in April and early May, we'd get up at 4 am and be back at the truck by noon, any later than that and the snow was too slushy to get around. Saw some beautiful sunrises over clouded valleys far below. Might be harder with a liquid sled to keep cool, but I encourage people to get out and see those sunrises, something magical about them.

We used to have to run av gas in the spring because the fuel lines on air cooled sleds would heat up and vapour lock, it didn't help with power, but Av gas doesn't vapourize as quick. Moved to a liquid cooled sled in 92, melted my first set of sliders that year, trying to go out too early. LOL that was up Koch Creek. When factory mountain sleds came out, it was a total shift in riding, no more re-jetting and no more massive chunks of ice hitting you in the face from plastic paddles. My dad is 72, still rides, his oldest riding buddy is 75 and still gets out 3 times a week. He doesn't take his butt off the seat too much anymore, things stay a lot tamer when you're riding with the OAS crew, and he waits for us to punch a trail if needed, but he can still get out and enjoy what he loves. I've been riding between the knees since I was 3, and on my own officially since I was about 8. My first sled was a 1978 TnT Everest 440. Eventually it got tunnelled and 500 jugs on the 440 bottom end, and some plastic paddles on the track.

Since we've derailed this thread, sorry Blk88gt....here are some old pics from the Kootenay areas that I've mentioned here, there's still lots of riding to do in these areas, some I haven't been back to for many years, some I still ride a couple times a year. Sorry, they are photos of old photos in an album. Hit me up if you need any info on local riding.

 

[takethebounce]

I'm glad that people are accessing some of the terrain in these areas, or opening up different terrain that can and should be considered new again. We pioneered tracks into a lot of places back in the day, we just did it when the snow was harder since we didn't have the power to do it in January back then, we did it in April and May (i'm talking 30-40 yrs ago). Some areas have opened up with easier access from logging etc, and some will be officially new tracks that you've cracked, but many areas we used to ride mainstream have been lost with time, deactivations, or closures. The forestry doesn't want to pay to maintain many of the roads anymore, access at the bottom has become private or gated, etc etc. Many issues have reduced exploration into some of these zones, but its good to see people pushing into them with the newer capable sleds, we need pioneers and riders willing to access as much of the terrain as possible for the sport to survive.

We used to ride Record Ridge at Old Glory every April like clockwork, probably one of the best views in the region, sadly closed now so that a few people can ski tour there. Could ride to the Bullet from Hadikin's from the Trail side but access at the bottom was privatized and then closed, for a few years you could come in off the Paulson side after they logged, but then that became overgrown and deactivated but then they logged off the 3B a couple years back and you can access from the west now, seems like its all new terrain but I got pics on my 95 Summit of the last year we bushwacked in from the Paulson side. I can remember riding Empire off the ridge from Copper above Blewett, only way you'd get a sled up the west now is by heli due to Cat skiing and lack of access. Guys tree bashed in a few yrs back from the east and found new access from the east, we were showing them pics of an old wildcat sitting on the ridge looking down on the lake from about 25 yrs earlier.

I have old 8mm footage from 1961 of the first road they put into our place, used to take an entire day to go 12 kms with winching and laying logs in the spring, now you couldn't find that road if you tried but they just put in a brand new road that opened up a whole new mountain side. What's old has become new again for others to explore. Keep exploring that new stuff, it will help keep pushing the sport forward and will let you see so much more than what many others get to experience.

The Empire access is still there, though snowwater has restricted the front side the backside to Siwash is quite easily accessed. Toad and Red mtn are still excellent little zones with easy access from either Giveout or Blewett. For being so close to town there really isn’t a lot of people riding those areas. If some weren’t first tracks that’s perfectly fine, I am quite certain some are as it would take modern sleds in deeper snow to push into some of them. Spring conditions and brute force for some of the pioneers in the area may have been more manageable. There is still endless areas to explore though and with how the evolution of what we are riding has changed so has the terrain we ride. We haven’t even bothered to ride the Paulson yet area in winter. Done a lot of summer rail trail rides and lake FSR stuff. Took the dirt bikes on a mission into Bonanza a few summers back. And the Strawberry pass area we have scouted and found random old snowmobile club trail signs in the thickest of bush and blow down. And then shoot the 31A has even more to offer as long as the ski tour operators don’t shut it all down.

The areas further North pst six mile/lemon have had a bunch of fires through there so it will be interesting how that looks this winter. Yes they keep deactivating the roads over years then have to cut in new huge fire breaks. I am fine with less access road traffic for the shorter rides.

Turns out I may still end up out there full time this winter. Just awaiting a final offer. Maybe have missed the boat on the crazy sellers market here but the lifestyle change is too much of an opportunity for us to pass on.

 

[ctd]

Bodies over 40...mind's only 20.....LOL. I guess probably closer to 30-35 years if I actually start counting, earliest would have been about 38 years. I was a kid / teenager way back then, but its hard to believe its 2021 already.

I'm not a wildman like you young guns, don't expect me to jump around on my sled like a Burandt bunny on a pogo stick. I grew up old school, we had no power and no paddle tracks, no rider forward etc etc. Used to take us all day to go up "8 Km Hill", leap frogging each other and walking ahead of your sled when it got stuck. We earned every inch of the mountain. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the sport has advanced, the new sleds just ride that much nicer and those old days were a lot of work for what we rode. Powder days I followed my dad and his buddies until we were all stuck (usually I got stuck first since I wasn't aggressive enough with the throttle), then you dug out and turned around, take another run. Now that terrain seems like kids play for our sleds. We rode everywhere in April and early May, we'd get up at 4 am and be back at the truck by noon, any later than that and the snow was too slushy to get around. Saw some beautiful sunrises over clouded valleys far below. Might be harder with a liquid sled to keep cool, but I encourage people to get out and see those sunrises, something magical about them.

We used to have to run av gas in the spring because the fuel lines on air cooled sleds would heat up and vapour lock, it didn't help with power, but Av gas doesn't vapourize as quick. Moved to a liquid cooled sled in 92, melted my first set of sliders that year, trying to go out too early. LOL that was up Koch Creek. When factory mountain sleds came out, it was a total shift in riding, no more re-jetting and no more massive chunks of ice hitting you in the face from plastic paddles. My dad is 72, still rides, his oldest riding buddy is 75 and still gets out 3 times a week. He doesn't take his butt off the seat too much anymore, things stay a lot tamer when you're riding with the OAS crew, and he waits for us to punch a trail if needed, but he can still get out and enjoy what he loves. I've been riding between the knees since I was 3, and on my own officially since I was about 8. My first sled was a 1978 TnT Everest 440. Eventually it got tunnelled and 500 jugs on the 440 bottom end, and some plastic paddles on the track.

Since we've derailed this thread, sorry Blk88gt....here are some old pics from the Kootenay areas that I've mentioned here, there's still lots of riding to do in these areas, some I haven't been back to for many years, some I still ride a couple times a year. Sorry, they are photos of old photos in an album. Hit me up if you need any info on local riding.

The good old days & the junk we rode Ha! Awesome & Tx's for posting! Not many mountain pioneer's as very few rode in the hills. The sleds were not capable, so they were all heavy mods to make work. People would not travel to sled either back then, just to be stuck all day & go nowhere.

Amazing how many think the manufacturer's invented mountain sleds, they have taking it to another level that is undeniably. The original ideas & concepts came from the backyard & aftermarket.

Sounds like you are a pioneer

 

[Modman]

The Empire access is still there, though snowwater has restricted the front side the backside to Siwash is quite easily accessed. Toad and Red mtn are still excellent little zones with easy access from either Giveout or Blewett. For being so close to town there really isn’t a lot of people riding those areas. If some weren’t first tracks that’s perfectly fine, I am quite certain some are as it would take modern sleds in deeper snow to push into some of them. Spring conditions and brute force for some of the pioneers in the area may have been more manageable. There is still endless areas to explore though and with how the evolution of what we are riding has changed so has the terrain we ride. We haven’t even bothered to ride the Paulson yet area in winter. Done a lot of summer rail trail rides and lake FSR stuff. Took the dirt bikes on a mission into Bonanza a few summers back. And the Strawberry pass area we have scouted and found random old snowmobile club trail signs in the thickest of bush and blow down. And then shoot the 31A has even more to offer as long as the ski tour operators don’t shut it all down.

The areas further North pst six mile/lemon have had a bunch of fires through there so it will be interesting how that looks this winter. Yes they keep deactivating the roads over years then have to cut in new huge fire breaks. I am fine with less access road traffic for the shorter rides.

Turns out I may still end up out there full time this winter. Just awaiting a final offer. Maybe have missed the boat on the crazy sellers market here but the lifestyle change is too much of an opportunity for us to pass on.

Yes, bonanza got logged about 5 yrs back, opened up more terrain on the back side but didn't get that good of snow last winter. Its open but really not technical at all, not much of a challenge. Yeah, see areas like Snowater I haven't been back to in several years cause the riding areas got smaller and we kept crossing tracks with the cat ski ops, just like up Big Red. I don't get fussed about "first tracks" or not either, but yes some areas you've probably cracked are, we just didn't have the handling and the power traditionally. Now, I'm sure snowbikes are the tracking up stuff we've never seen, I know several guys who have connected areas where sleds just can't squeeze through the trees. Yeah that Trozzo area will be interesting this winter, as well as the octopus creek stuff. Took the boat and seadoos up that way on Saturday and there was still lots of smoke coming up the ridge, and the forest crews were steady going on the road everyday, and choppers still flying non-stop.

 

[Modman]

Here, I photo'd this article for you from the paper the other day. Gives a bit of background on real estate lately.

 

[takethebounce]

Here, I photo'd this article for you from the paper the other day. Gives a bit of background on real estate lately.

Yeah the remote work opportunities have impacted many areas where people can now expand their living locations.

Our place has sold here so it might be a long winter in the extended families basement lol.

 

[ctd]

Here, I photo'd this article for you from the paper the other day. Gives a bit of background on real estate lately.

I read a similar article focusing on Kaslo, crazy what has gone on. Previously I often wondered when the time would come for West Kootenay's to take off. I was always surprised in my short time exposed to the area, approx. 10 years the price of water front property. I'm not referring to low price, the waterfront is expensive.

I've taken a very select few to a few of my fav riding zones. Each time the number sleds & trucks @ the bottom of the hill is our group, hopefully that will not change. Part of the reason these area's are not popular amongst the main street is the challenge of access, I'm not talking about the staging area. The man street riders are looking for Cabins & WiFi....even better if they have camera's Bitch if the trail is not groomed to perfection.

 

[takethebounce]

I read a similar article focusing on Kaslo, crazy what has gone on. Previously I often wondered when the time would come for West Kootenay's to take off. I was always surprised in my short time exposed to the area, approx. 10 years the price of water front property. I'm not referring to low price, the waterfront is expensive.

I've taken a very select few to a few of my fav riding zones. Each time the number sleds & trucks @ the bottom of the hill is our group, hopefully that will not change. Part of the reason these area's are not popular amongst the main street is the challenge of access, I'm not talking about the staging area. The man street riders are looking for Cabins & WiFi....even better if they have camera's Bitch if the trail is not groomed to perfection.

So since I will now be a “local” does that get me a taste of one or two of these exclusive zones of yours? Lol

 

[ctd]

So since I will now be a “local” does that get me a taste of one or two of these exclusive zones of yours? Lol

Ha! I'm not local just have spent many years & have made some good friends with locals. Every year I get privileged to one or two new zones to me. Some of these area's the locals don't ride for years, the weather needs to be good, slides or what ever changes the landscape. You have not been there for years & you have entered a one way in & one way out area....awesome Ha!

Nothing exclusive of the zones I refer to

I think we are in for awesome winter this time, temperatures & moisture numbers need to sort themselves out.

 

[takethebounce]

Ha! I'm not local just have spent many years & have made some good friends with locals. Every year I get privileged to one or two new zones to me. Some of these area's the locals don't ride for years, the weather needs to be good, slides or what ever changes the landscape. You have not been there for years & you have entered a one way in & one way out area....awesome Ha!

Nothing exclusive of the zones I refer to

I think we are in for awesome winter this time, temperatures & moisture numbers need to sort themselves out.

I am just joking around anyways but until more of my group moves out there full time hint hint TethAir, I will be looking for honey holes more than ever. With his son in NewDenver, JungleJim in Balfour, Tethair at 9 mile and I will be somewhere between Nelson/Castlegar we will have the entire range covered.

I find I am taking the locals into spots they never even considered but since I will have blue plates again after 15 years of red ones I won’t be worried that I am upsetting the balance of the “local” zones lol

 

[ctd]

I find I am taking the locals into spots they never even considered

The skill set of some of the characters local's I ride with.... frightens the hell out of me. I will push myself @ times, I love to do that. I'm not skeered of wide open big terrain up or down. They take tree riding to a level that is impossible for me to ever hope for other than to arrive.

Cannot imagine your skill level, the guys I refer to riding @ a level beyond what you watch in video's.