Snowmobiling blues...

-
nm9stheham said:
Hey JP! Thanks for asking; been off this site for a while working on my Opel stuff.

May be going back to Maine this year, up near Rangeley; thought about ON and QC too. Kinda waiting to get through a few projects for work.... being a contractor makes your plans HIGHLY variable.....

BTW, I get on a Doo forum site and there was a thread there titled "Is Arctic Cat going down?" I thought of you and your AC's every time I got on that thread LOL

So are you out in the snow yet?

And, FWIW.... I keep creeping closer to getting a place out that way.... 2 places, 1 near Togwotee Pass and 1 up near West Yellowstone, are leading the pack right now! SNOW country! Woo hoo!

BTW, I tune in the live webcam from Togwotee Lodge every now and then to keeps tabs. Just watched a guy flip his sled on its side in the parking lot LOL
See Togwotee Pass - Togwotee Mountain Lodge Live Webcam - SeeJH.com
Click to expand...
Yes I would like to move to Idaho or somewhere where there's lots of snow! We're very comfortable here though and traveling distance isn't too bad for day trips. I just noticed my American snowmobiler went out of business and no snow west has picked up the subscriptions. That's good for me because they do mostly Mountain sled stuff. I got got my new magazine yesterday.. no snow here close by so I've been just keeping myself busy getting this project truck done and piling up parts for the Duster for winter projects for it..
Please post up some photos if you get out there..:thumbsup:..
IMG_20191214_175550.jpg
 
Well, you guys are in a pretty darned good spot.... pick up, go a few hours, and you're in the snow!

And yes, if things work out, I'll let you know where we land. Dubois WY (20-25 miles east of Togwotee Pass) and Hebgen Lake MT (about the same distance north of Island Park) are the 2 spots in favor at this point. Been looking around for a few years... finally getting close to retirement.
 
nm9stheham said:
Hey JP! Thanks for asking; been off this site for a while working on my Opel stuff.

May be going back to Maine this year, up near Rangeley; thought about ON and QC too. Kinda waiting to get through a few projects for work.... being a contractor makes your plans HIGHLY variable.....

BTW, I get on a Doo forum site and there was a thread there titled "Is Arctic Cat going down?" I thought of you and your AC's every time I got on that thread LOL

So are you out in the snow yet?

And, FWIW.... I keep creeping closer to getting a place out that way.... 2 places, 1 near Togwotee Pass and 1 up near West Yellowstone, are leading the pack right now! SNOW country! Woo hoo!

BTW, I tune in the live webcam from Togwotee Lodge every now and then to keeps tabs. Just watched a guy flip his sled on its side in the parking lot LOL
See Togwotee Pass - Togwotee Mountain Lodge Live Webcam - SeeJH.com
Click to expand...
What kind of Opel?

I had a 1974 Opel Manta years ago that I loved. Wish I could find another one.
 
nm9stheham said:
Well, you guys are in a pretty darned good spot.... pick up, go a few hours, and you're in the snow!

And yes, if things work out, I'll let you know where we land. Dubois WY (20-25 miles east of Togwotee Pass) and Hebgen Lake MT (about the same distance north of Island Park) are the 2 spots in favor at this point. Been looking around for a few years... finally getting close to retirement.
Click to expand...
I built that sled deck for the truck last year and it's worked out very well for quick travel..
 
Ddaddy said:
What kind of Opel?

I had a 1974 Opel Manta years ago that I loved. Wish I could find another one.
Click to expand...
Be careful what you wish for... I'm here to help you get one! LOL

This one is a '75 Opel 1900 (Ascona A in Europe). Same identical chassis and drivetrain as the Manta A that you had, just different sheet metal. I have had a number of those 50 series Opels (Manta A and Ascona A), and seriously rallied both a Manta and another 1900, back in the late 70's to early 90's. I have a '72 Manta in the garage right now, partly caged, that I have had going as a new rally car build project for several years (Progress stalled now... What? A stalled car project? LOL). Pix attached of the 1900 setting beside the '62 Dart.

If you really want to find another Manta, let me know; PM would be fine. They're out there.... just gotta be patient to get one with a decent body. That is why I got the 1900.... an almost 100% rust free CA car (through some bondo is skimmed in the right rear quarter).

I post over on www.opelgt.com as 'Manta Rallier', which the best US/Canada site for these German Opels anymore. There are a couple of guys there from NJ and MD with GT's.

IMG_20190712_151432159.jpg
 
nm9stheham said:
Be careful what you wish for... I'm here to help you get one! LOL

This one is a '75 Opel 1900 (Ascona A in Europe). Same identical chassis and drivetrain as the Manta A that you had, just different sheet metal. I have had a number of those 50 series Opels (Manta A and Ascona A), and seriously rallied both a Manta and another 1900, back in the late 70's to early 90's. I have a '72 Manta in the garage right now, partly caged, that I have had going as a new rally car build project for several years (Progress stalled now... What? A stalled car project? LOL). Pix attached of the 1900 setting beside the '62 Dart.

If you really want to find another Manta, let me know; PM would be fine. They're out there.... just gotta be patient to get one with a decent body. That is why I got the 1900.... an almost 100% rust free CA car (through some bondo is skimmed in the right rear quarter).

I post over on www.opelgt.com as 'Manta Rallier', which the best US/Canada site for these German Opels anymore. There are a couple of guys there from NJ and MD with GT's.

View attachment 1715438483
Click to expand...
What I really want is another 1974 Opel Manta 1900. Loved that car.
 
Hey J Par and any of you guys into snowmobiling....

Enjoy this video from the 2020 Snodeo last weekend in Rangeley/Oquossoc, Maine. Skip the boring presentations and drawings..... check out the vehicles on the frozen lake, the kids' snowmobile race, plowing snow ONTO Main Street for the parade, the old Tucker, the parade float with the cowgirl riding the 'snowmobull' (LOL)..... lot's of fun. Heading there myself in 2 weeks.

PS.. My son and I have rallied cars in this area in the past.... great, wild territory.

 
Up in Rangeley Maine this week for some riding. 3F for the high today. I like the Wrangler with tracks , rollover frame , and chainsaw that went by us grooming today!

IMG_20200214_104230676_HDR.jpg


IMG_20200214_104508313_HDR~2.jpg
 
I'm here in sub-zero temps and snow all around. Having sold my sleds/trailer 4 years ago I'm missing my .........................................................…. Mopars!!!!!! :D I'm ready to get started on lots of projects
 
nm9stheham said:
Up in Rangeley Maine this week for some riding. 3F for the high today. I like the Wrangler with tracks , rollover frame , and chainsaw that went by us grooming today!

View attachment 1715470177

View attachment 1715470178
Click to expand...
The tracks look so short LOL...
My wife and I have just been on one trip so far it's pretty light season here.. could you have a trip planned for next week but we'll see..
I'll shoot a picture but it's the same scenery I've posted before. Timothy lake on the damn...
IMG_20200204_122508.jpg
IMG_20200204_122350.jpg

The orange sled is my wife's and that's the short one 153...
 
We are headed to the cabin today for a week of sledding. This will be the first time out this year. My family loves snowmobiling so all the time and money I have to put in it is very worth it!

Cley
 
89on35s said:
We are headed to the cabin today for a week of sledding. This will be the first time out this year. My family loves snowmobiling so all the time and money I have to put in it is very worth it!

Cley
Click to expand...
Assume!!.. have a fun safe trip and shoot us some Canadian sledding pictures..:thumbsup::canada:...
 
Beautiful weather but rough trails today..
As always the worst day of snowmobiling is better than the best day of work!!..
IMG_20200218_111725.jpg
 
My family and I found some great trails and some great off trail riding too! We are here till sunday! Just making noise!

Cley
20200218_165609.jpg
 
We are in farm country here but if you know where to go, you can get into 3+feet of fresh snow in spots. My kids are finally old enough to do everything we want to do so its pretty great!

Cley
 
I used to have an 81 Yamaha 300 when I was in high school...

Great trail sled... You could just shift your weight and kick the back end around in a corner on a trail...
 
Here is my whole family (except my sister) in the middle of a 90 mile trail ride! My brother (I guess he is taking the photo) and his 2 kids, my mom who is 72 years young, and my wife and I with our 2 kids!

Cley
Resized_20200220_153642.jpeg
 
89on35s said:
Here is my whole family (except my sister) in the middle of a 90 mile trail ride! My brother (I guess he is taking the photo) and his 2 kids, my mom who is 72 years young, and my wife and I with our 2 kids!

Cley
View attachment 1715474020
Click to expand...
That's totally awesome! I love getting the family together and enjoying the outdoors!! Rock on man, that's totally cool!.. and kudos to Mom!!..
 
Cut out today and the wife and I put about 40 miles on the sleds. I had to climb this little bump in the road LOL it's really not much of a challenge but it's all we have this winter because the snow isn't deep enough to play in the steep and deep.. there's plenty of steep, but no deep LOL
IMG_20200225_135616.jpg
IMG_20200225_135522.jpg
 
Finished out our trip to Maine again this year, 1 to 2 weeks ago. Went up to Rangeley up in the NW part of the state..... really good trails and tail maintenance and the usual huge, natural, and quite solidly frozen Maine lakes! We rode on some trails on what are forest roads, and realized we were on some roads that we raced on in the Maine Forest Rally event way back in 1999.... we were pushing 100+ mph in the rally car then... can't quite do that on 600 cc 4 stroke snowmobiles LOL!

Then picked up my wife from her cousin's place in NH and went back up to Weld Maine and spent 4 days in 200 year restored farm house. My wife stayed in and enjoyed herself, we got a good snow storm and 8" of fresh light snow, rode around the mountain trails. Really good riding; some fast, some climbs; quite a variety

We are really liking NW and northern Maine. Just watch out for the serious frost heaves in the roads in spots.
 
Last edited:
nm9stheham said:
We made it to Maine again this year, 1 to 2 weeks ago. Went up to Rangeley up in the NW part of the state..... really good trails and tail maintenance and the usual huge, natural, and quite solidly frozen Maine lakes! We rode on some trails on what are forest roads, and realized we were on some roads that we raced on in the Maine Forest Rally event way back in 1999.... we were pushing 100+ mph in the rally car then... can't quite do that on 600 cc 4 stroke snowmobiles LOL!

Then picked up my wife from her cousin's place in NH and went back up to Weld Maine and spent 4 days in 200 year restored farm house. My wife stayed in and enjoyed herself, we got a good snow storm and 8" of fresh light snow, rode around the mountain trails. Really good riding; some fast, some climbs; quite a variety

We are really liking NW and northern Maine. Just watch out for the serious frost heaves in the roads in spots.
Click to expand...
One of these Winters I'd like for my wife and I to travel with the snowmobiles and go to some cool spots in Maine and places like that.. I do want to go to Idaho and Wyoming as well.. I'm glad you had fun that sounds really awesome!..
 
Yes sir.... you 2 reeeeeally need to get to Togwotee Pass in WY and to Island Park ID/ West Yellowstone area. Not a terribly far trip for you.

Almost 7' of snowpack on the ground right now at Togwotee..... a bit above average but nowhere near a record. I looked up the stats on the Snotel reports for there.... the earliest it has all melted off there in the last 30 years was around June 1st..... the latest around July 20th!
 
Finished my ramp extension...
just a little extra angle to make loading and unloading the snowmobiles not so exciting LOL...
IMG_20201227_110040.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top