Who started in Mountains on a Fancooled Sled

[LUCKY 7]

94 indy sport 440. in 96 I move to Sparwood and took that machine up to Island lake and was told by the local sledders "WTF are you doing up here with that machine" I remember going up to the wranglers cabin and it took us hours just to get to the cabin then on to the pipeline to the first few hills and thought i better not go down the hill as I won't be able to make it back up the hill.

 

[rightsideup]

1987 polaris 488sp 121 x.75 I think

 

[0neoldfart]

Started on a Blizzard 5500 Many moons ago…Wife / kids learned many years later (1998?) on a s-chassis with a 380/503 rotax, 136” with 1.5” paddles. Had Rev chassis after that, then M-series cats, proclimbs, and pro rmk / ascender sleds. Always had fun, learned to sidehill with the fan sleds to get anywhere.

 

[drew562]

1978 Arctic Cat Jag Free Air with my Dad, Uncle and cousins from Tete Jaune

View attachment 262638

My first mountain trip was on a 76 jag 340 Free air. We rode into Jasper from Cadomin my sled Looked pretty close to that sled except the headlight was above the bumper and off to one side

 

[BAC'S]

as a kid I used to go to the mountains with my dad and rode a 1996 formulas s 500 fan cooled with plastic paddles screwed on.

 

[MP Kid]

1978 Arctic Cat Jag Free Air with my Dad, Uncle and cousins from Tete Jaune

View attachment 262638

That brings back memories..!!!

I started on a '79 340 Jag, then "stepped up" a few years later to an '81 440 Jag...

 

[Modman]

1978 440 TnT.

 

[Sledderglen]

Started out in Valemount on a new 1979 Yamaha ET340. Stayed on the forestry roads then Allen Creek cabin

 

[97summit]

I started on a 1982 Citation SS. 15" X 114" track. 380lb.
Open face helmet, insulated cover alls, no radio, no becon. Times have sure changed.

 

[catinthehat]

Almost everybody that started riding in the seventies started on fan cooled sleds. My first was a 1972 250 Elan.

 

[Mountainman52]

If you rode a fan cooled in the mountains, good chance you also rode with plastic paddles bolted on your track. I know Baker sold a million of them....

 

[ZIG]

1980 Everest 500. Put door screen in the vents to keep the snow out.

 

[Lem Lamb]

I did,,, ski-roule 250cc wide track...

It was just enough too make it to the cabins at Golden,,, Revy,,, Silent Pass...

Some times it took all day to make it too the cabins...

Stuck stuck and more stuck,,, a group of us had all the wrong sleds... lol

Good times for sure...

Best $400 beater sleds going

Throw 3 junk sleds in a truck box sideways and drive 450 miles too the mountains,,, night time runs too avoid encounters with the fuzzzz...

Boy,,, have times changed

 

[niner]

First trip to BC was with a 377 skidoo safari. First real mountain sled was a 91 phaser with a 136” track with 1 5/8” paddles. Took all day once to break a trail from Boulder cabin to the alpine. 2 of us would walk a 50’ trail in waste deep powder , turn around and walk the trail back and give a ski tug on the stuck phaser and do it all over again. Slept good that night.

 

[Dutchman]

Hah, does a free air count? 1980 TXC 340. Purchased 2 of them new in the crate. Had to assemble, PDI ourselves. Many fun miles were put on those machines.

 

[frock]

250 Elan in the Whitehorse area and a couple hours north of Watson Lake.

 

[Lem Lamb]

Those were the good days...

$400 ish bucks used or a whaaaping $1000 to $1200 new...

Simple sleds fir us Simple pepole...

I might find an old clunkers ane putttzzz around our area...

Slooooow is a good thing

 

[Modman]

If you rode a fan cooled in the mountains, good chance you also rode with plastic paddles bolted on your track. I know Baker sold a million of them....

yep, if you hit any ice you were fawked but they threw good rooster tails!

 

[ZRrrr]

yep, if you hit any ice you were fawked but they threw good rooster tails! View attachment 262691

Was just going to post that! Blizzard 5500 with neon plastic paddles...you knew where I was by the massive rooster tail. Lol

 

[Dutchman]

I remember those plastic paddles. Had to pay attention following cause they were missiles when the paddle flew off.
What we did on a few of the old machines was turn the track around backwards. When you're talking 3/4 grips, everything helped. Couldn't stop as quick, but what's more important?