A MUST Read for snowmobilers

Deadwood · December 02, 2005, 04:54:39 PM

This was taken off a snowmobile site I moderate, (with permission) and it's a very good reminder.

My friends and I are probably just like you. We are all in our late twenties to early thirties, and single white males. We have pretty good jobs; some own their house, others rent. We hunt and fish, watch football and NASCAR, go to bars and church festivals.

We have owned sleds from all manufacturers over the years. Our first sleds were junkpiles and we still make fun of them. We work on our own sleds and help each other with theirs. We watch the weather forecasts waiting for snow and read all the snowmobiling magazines drooling over the new sleds. We put 600 miles on the truck to put 200 on the sled. We have all entered corners too fast, and all missed turns at night at one time or another. We laughed at slow riders that putted along at 15 mph. We rode with the feeling of invincibility that only youth can bring.

Our youth ended February 14, 2003.

In a small town about 10 miles South of Crandon, at 11:00 PM my friend Jim Smolen lost his life. He was only 28. He died within a half mile of the cabin, within half an hour of unloading the sleds off of the trailer. The reconstruction showed that he hit a stump under the snow, was thrown off, and hit a tree. At least he didn't suffer. Excessive speed was believed to have been involved, even though the sled wasn't wrecked. It looked like he just stepped off of it. He did have ONE or TWO beers, but I must say that I have seen people drink much more - I'm not condoning it, but I know you have too. Jim was riding as long as I can remember, 5+ years at least, riding the same sled he had for three years. We have all seen the articles in the papers that give little detail; letting us assume it was an inexperienced rider, totally drunk, on a brand new, huge displacement sled.

What the newspaper articles do not show is how it affects everyone else. They don't show the undescribable horror of seeing a close friend lying in the snow bleeding from the eyes, ears, nose and mouth. They don't show the blank stare in his unblinking eyes as you try to remember the CPR you learned in high school. They don't show the panic felt during the longest half mile you will ever ride back to the cabin to call 911. They don't show the feeling of helplessness as you spend the longest HALF HOUR of your life waiting for an ambulance. They don't tell about men who haven't prayed in years dropping to their knees and saying a prayer. They don't show the feeling of uneasiness as you drive HIS truck to the hospital. They don't show the cold you feel as you wait until 4:30AM when the doctors give you the news you already knew but still can't bring yourself to hear. They don't tell the flood of emotions you feel as you have to call your friend's parents in the middle of the night to tell them that their son has died. They don't mention that none of his friends will get any sleep for days. They don't mention the nightmares when they do. They don't tell about the DNR showing up at 8:00AM the next day to fill out paperwork and make them relive it all again. They don't tell about grown men breaking down and crying. They don't tell about the longest, quietest drive home ever.

The human body is so frail, so easily damaged. If you have an accident in a big city, help is only about five minutes away. If you have an accident in the north woods help could be forty miles away or more. Think about it
I am not asking for speed limits, or other restrictions. Just please, PLEASE be careful. Slow down just a little. Skip that beer and have a soda instead. Ask yourself if it is worth the consequences to go flying through the woods. Your friends WILL wait for you. Death is forever. Think of all the good times you would miss. Take a little time and look at the beauty of nature. There are those that no longer can.

I know you think that this only happens to "the other guy". So did we. Just like you.

Jeff · December 02, 2005, 05:25:21 PM

Our median age here is the late 40's.

Ron Scott · December 02, 2005, 05:47:47 PM

Yes, use care when snowmobiling.

My niece's 16 year old son was killed on a snowmobile 2 years ago this coming February at a county road intersection just a mile south of where we were logging. He was on his way to give a girlfriend a ride on the sled when he ran into a pick-up truck at the intersection.

The impact knocked his helmet off and he died of head injuries in the hospital a shorth time later. Speed had to be a factor. A wooden cross with his name on it marks the spot as a reminder to all passing that intersection.

Deadwood · December 03, 2005, 05:50:11 AM

A neighbor of mine was killed a few years ago on a snowmobile. He was being foolish in that he was going way to fast and was riding up the road after a snowstorm. Just past my house he desended down a hill and slammed into the back of a car that had slid off the road. He was then catapaulted into a tree. He had a helmet on, but it did not do him much good at the speed he was going.

Here in Maine, the chances of getting killed on a snowmobile are twice that of being murdered. Kind of an intersting statistic I thought.

sawguy21 · December 03, 2005, 08:14:33 AM

I scared myself silly on a sled a few times. Of course, I was going too DanG fast. The most memorable was coming through the switchbacks on a very steep logging road. It had been a long day and we were all tired. Everyone had been drifting through the corners and I was last in line. I went sideways across the corner and the tail broke through the snowbank overlooking a very high cliff. I pinned the throttle, cheeks got a death grip on the seat, and I stayed on the road. Started shaking and slowed right down.
The log truck drivers hated us on Monday mornings

Ron Scott · December 03, 2005, 09:41:59 AM

Yes, snowmobilers seem to be attracted to logging areas for some reason. :

One needs to be especially carefull after the "first snow" and when they don't realize that there is active logging going on in the area.

A few years ago I had two hit the woods from the haul road as I came around a sharp right angle turn with my Toyota. They were coming at high speed right at me and couldn't stop. I don't think they new that the sharp corner was there. One glanced off my left front tire and rolled over as he was skidding to a stop. His eyes were as big as saucers as he looked up at me as I checked to see if they were ok.

Some bent skis on the one machine and some soiled snowmobile suits. We never saw them on the timber access road again that or any other winters after. I think about the incident everytime I go around that corner as I travel it a lot.

Ironwood · December 03, 2005, 09:49:30 AM

Sorry, to hear about thata story. I have lost about half a dozen friends over the years, mostly motorcycling accidents of some sort. I gave mine up years ago as the only time I rode the hyped "White Bros " XT600, was a 90+ MPH hot lap around a country road, it was just a matter of time before I crested a hill (front wheel in the air)with a haywagon or something on the other side waiting to "catch me". I am definetely a servivor of the natural selection rules, I don't know what my parents were thinking (not that their attempts at control were observed after I was 13 or so). Life is fragile, especially as I watch my 3 1/2 year old and think of all the POSSIBLE dangers.

Enjoy the moments, and yes it is fine to cry, I have been doing it for years and even more lately. Let those tears fly. Enjoy the time with your friends and remeber we don't repair as easily as we age.

Reid

chet · December 03, 2005, 10:06:21 AM

Deadwood,
I live in da UP of Michigan about 40 miles north of Crandon. Every year this area has way to many deadly snowmobile accidents. The common links of almost all of them, seems to be alcohol, speed, and nonresident.

Coon · December 03, 2005, 01:15:59 PM

Hey Deadwood, What snowmobile site was that from? I do often go on some those sites, with that topic being relatively talked about. I live far enough in the north that snowmobiles are a very common method of transportation. It is far too often that we hear of accidents like those just described in this forum. More often than not it is a result of pure stupidity that these accidents have occured. People just need to use their common sense and slow down a little especially in area that they don't know.

sawguy21 · December 03, 2005, 01:38:57 PM

Ron, I should have pointed out we were up there on weekends, the truckers were pithed at the icy corners ;D. We did have some encounters with pickups on the weekends though as the contractors were checking their equipment. Vandalism and theft were problems and gave all of us a bad name.

Deadwood · December 04, 2005, 06:37:24 PM

Hey Coon, that came from SledMaine. I doubt you have been to the website because it is geared towards the State of Maine.

As for the age, I probably should have deleted that line because age really doesn't matter. I am 31 and drive pretty slow actually, and so do the people I ride with. In fact we are usually the slowest people on the trail. We hooked up last year with a group of older snowmobilers and they were just flying around the corners trying to keep up so we could find this elusive gas station. Man were they flying and I would say they were in their 60's.

The reason I travel so slowly though is because of my screwy railroad career schedule. There is no one around to ride with when I have my days off during the week so I ride alone. My scariest moment was last year when I got lost on a trail. I ended up crossing a lake and about halfway across I started to break through. I gunned the engine and had just enough power and momentum to get back onto solid ice. It was not until I was halfway home that I started shaking thinking about it. I mean there I was, riding alone, off the main trail (it was not marked well), snowing out and no one would be missing me for hours, not to mention knowing where I was. Now I stay off any ice when I am riding alone, and I slow down as well. I just can't afford to go off the trail.

As for Snowmobile Safety, I am thinking about getting a TEK Vest, (protects your vital organs and resembles a bullet proof vest)... with a baby on the way, I got TWO reasons to get home safely. As for crying, well I lost my 19 year old sister in 2003, and there are times when I still miss her. That is why I posted this little story, I KNOW how the person that wrote this story feels.

Please ride safe this winter!

Ron Scott · December 04, 2005, 08:18:51 PM

Yes, stay on the marked trails. We loose a number of snowmobilers to "thin ice" here every winter. Some very sad stories, especially around the Christmas holidays.

The underwater searches and recoveries aren't pleasant.

pasbuild · December 04, 2005, 08:28:23 PM

How well I know the dangers of snowmobiling, my neighbor and friend has lost a family member three out of the last four years to snowmobiling accidents.