Taking Son to Mountains for first trip. Looking for advice

[Bulldog Racing]

Hey guys, I'm taking my son to Golden in a couple weeks for his first trip with the boys. We have all the safety gear, and he's taken an Avalanche course with me. The questions I have pertain to his sled. He's 13, and riding a 2015 Polaris RMK 550 w/ 144" track. Wondering what clutching specs I should be going to, and also jetting.
We're going to try Quartz, so should be pretty easy for his first trip, but need the info on the sled so I can make the changes before we go. I've tried to find the info online, but not much available.

Thanks!!

 

[catmando]

I would think stock would be fine, I personally would leave it alone and let him ride it.

 

[JungleJim]

From a sled perspective, I think you will be fine. If anything take along some extra jets a few sizes up and down from stock just in case. In terms of introducing your son to mountain sledding and hopefully building his passion, patience and understanding is the absolute key. I introduced my boys at a young age to mountain riding and what worked well for us (especially for the first trip) is the following:

1) I led and picked easy lines for him to follow with my buddy following my son so he had immediate help if needed
2) I exaggerated riding moves (e.g. wrong foot forward,etc.) so he could mimic me where possible
3) Find a easy little hill with no consequences and patiently explain techniques, sidehilling, etc. and have him practice, practice, and practice with you too so you're both doing it (then he won't feel silly being the only one plus you have fun together)
4) Make the trip about him... not about keeping up with your normal buddies. We had fun playing "cops and robbers" in meadows and easy tree areas where we "chased" each other down. This really helps to get their speed and confidence up.
5) DON'T lose your cool EVER! This was the hardest for me... instead of getting upset when they smoke a tree and bend an a-arm, then making a remark or two in anger/frustration (that you will regret later anyway - I know I sure did) which causes them to feel even worse than they already are... make sure they are ok and then laugh about it. Make a point of getting them to really laugh too as they are already feeling bad about "letting you down" plus wrecking the sled. $hit happens... we've all been there!
6) Go out of your way to have fun and spoil the hell out of him! It's totally ok for him to have a double-stack of pancakes and three side orders of bacon that Mom would never allow... its all about getting him to want to come on the next trip
7) Teach him good riding etiquette when it comes to riding, communicating, sticking with the group, and helping himself and others get unstuck. When he is in there helping others get unstuck and also doing what he can to get himself unstuck, he'll feel like a part of your group and your buddies will appreciate his efforts

Enjoy and take lots of pictures! Hopefully you will soon have a life long riding buddy as I think there is nothing more valuable than riding with your sons and making great memories together. Good luck!

 

[TDR]

Jim as always you nailed right on the head. Today I have 2 of the best riding partners ever. I did a few things wrong but luckily I ignited a passion and I know I will never have a problem finding someone to ride with.

 

[barefooter]

Ah Quartz with my Daughter. Have some great memories from there!. And the best thing is the cabin is great, so they can stay warm.

I rode Owlshead, Blue lake and Hunters Range with my daughter for years. Great terrain - just a little more driving from Cowtown. The meadows at all three really instilled confidence that the mountains weren't all that bad and there was always more challenging terrain to find.

I am off snowbiking this weekend with my 13 yr. old. Here is hoping he catches the bug as well.

 

[barefooter]

Oh. What I really replied for. I spent the $300 for the Holtzman Attac for what was my daughter's Skidoo 550 back then. Ran fantastic, no jetting required. About a 30 minute installation and tune. Well worth it - especially if you have more kids coming up.

 

[wheels]

My kids ride 550s at Quartz with no
issues. I would leave it stock should work
good. It's a great area to go to with the kids. My boys are 12 and 15 started out there on a 120. I would pull
it to the top in a calf sled and we would ride from the saddle down the the cabin. Maybe I will
try to go out the same time as you guys always fun meeting new people and watching the kids rip
it up.

 

[tko sled ed]

Great comments by Jim just one thing to watch out for
They get hooked pretty fast
Picture is my son mason now 15 his first yr was when he was 11 nothing better as far as I’m concerned

 

[TDR]

Couldn’t agree more with all of this. My boys started at 11 or 12 and now I have to deal with this. That puts a big smile on my face!!

 

[zal]

I first took my boy to the mtns when he was 6. First time riding his own sled there when he was 8. Besides the awesome tips mentioned, one more piece of info I gave my boy (and wife) was to look where you want to go. Look with your head, not just with your eyes. If you stare at the tree, you're going to hit the tree. If you move your head, your body will follow.

 

[JungleJim]

Thanks Juicecan! I certainly didn't get it right all the time but just passing on some of the things I learned the hard way at times... Like TDR says the payoff is having great lifelong sled buddies! Great to hear of others developing the passion with their kids and in particular getting their daughters out. Years ago I rode with a guy who brought his girlfriend out for a ride with us and many in our group groaned about having to take it easy "having a girl along"... boy did she prove them wrong as she was a better rider than most of us! It was too funny seeing guys having to eat their words... turned out she had been riding for years around Revelstoke with her dad growing up. It was fantastic!