Backcountry breakdown

M

MaTtToM86

New member
Born, raised, and still live in Kansas City......so please forgive my ignorance.

Hypothetically, let's say my friends and I have a truck, trailer, and a snowmobile securely strapped down. What all is needed in order to take this snow mobile to a public land location and utilize it to hit some spots and runs while staying legal and relatively safe.

We assume we'll need:

- Avalanche training

- Snowmobile operation training

- Up-to-date maps and GPS

- Proper gear

- Proper communication

What we are not sure about is:

- License's

- Permits

- Registrations

- Reservations

- ETC....

Again, forgive my ignorance. All we're looking for is info. Any help and/or advice would be much appreciate!
 
topic:MaTtToM86 said:
Born, raised, and still live in Kansas City......so please forgive my ignorance.

Hypothetically, let's say my friends and I have a truck, trailer, and a snowmobile securely strapped down. What all is needed in order to take this snow mobile to a public land location and utilize it to hit some spots and runs while staying legal and relatively safe.

We assume we'll need:

- Avalanche training

- Snowmobile operation training

- Up-to-date maps and GPS

- Proper gear

- Proper communication

What we are not sure about is:

- License's

- Permits

- Registrations

- Reservations

- ETC....

Again, forgive my ignorance. All we're looking for is info. Any help and/or advice would be much appreciate!
Click to expand...

You got everything right in the top section. Personally I’d say the most important part is avalanche training. It’s probably pretty hard to find an Avy 1 course in Kansas City so id recommend starting out with reading Bruce Tremper’s “staying alive in avalanche terrain”. It’s dense and boring at times, and you definitely don’t need the whole thing committed to memory, but it will get you the basic skills to not immediately kill yourself ?

Snowmobiles need registration in some states but not in others. On most federal public land you can ride them everywhere except wilderness areas. I’m not aware of anywhere you’d need a reservation unless you were staying in a yurt/bc hut somewhere. Im also not aware of needing permits for backcountry skiing or snowmobiling anywhere except some of the big volcanoes out west.

There is a lot to learn when it comes to backcountry skiing and it can be overwhelming starting out, but I promise you it’ll be worth it if you stick with it. It can feel like a lot of work at times but it is rewarding in a way that resort skiing never can be. Good luck and be safe out there!
 
Honestly I'd just start with a touring setup and start getting comfortable in the backcountry. finding good spots, available parking, and stable snowpack is already a huge pain in the dick. With a sled you're adding so many extra factors... permitting varies by state and occasionally locally. easy af to get stuck or stranded in an unfamiliar spot no matter how many maps you have. "Are my fluids topped up," "am i about to smoke my belt," "does this glade dead end," etc. etc. etc. on top of all the backcountry hazards. Way too much to learn all at once in my opinion.

But respect for sending it all the way from KC. and good luck whatever you end up doing
 
Just fking send it bro fk the government they helped my wife take everything if i was you id just find the most pow filled 35 degree run and send that mfing hog up it and hit the griddy on the way down and give the middle finger to any park rangers you see along the way yurrrrrrrrrrrr
 
14583321:verynormalguy said:
You got everything right in the top section. Personally I’d say the most important part is avalanche training. It’s probably pretty hard to find an Avy 1 course in Kansas City so id recommend starting out with reading Bruce Tremper’s “staying alive in avalanche terrain”. It’s dense and boring at times, and you definitely don’t need the whole thing committed to memory, but it will get you the basic skills to not immediately kill yourself ?

Snowmobiles need registration in some states but not in others. On most federal public land you can ride them everywhere except wilderness areas. I’m not aware of anywhere you’d need a reservation unless you were staying in a yurt/bc hut somewhere. Im also not aware of needing permits for backcountry skiing or snowmobiling anywhere except some of the big volcanoes out west.

There is a lot to learn when it comes to backcountry skiing and it can be overwhelming starting out, but I promise you it’ll be worth it if you stick with it. It can feel like a lot of work at times but it is rewarding in a way that resort skiing never can be. Good luck and be safe out there!
Click to expand...

I appreciate the info and input. I'm curious if all avalanche training courses are essentially the same. With Colorado being roughly the closest area to Kansas City that would offer such training, would there be certain things to look for or do most courses (obviously offered by different outfits) hit the same basics and then temper to the goal of what the student wants to accomplish?; i.e. exploring actual snowmobile trails vs. utilizing the snowmobile to get to more remote areas of side and backcountry skiing.
 
14583896:TRVP_ANGEL said:
Just fking send it bro fk the government they helped my wife take everything if i was you id just find the most pow filled 35 degree run and send that mfing hog up it and hit the griddy on the way down and give the middle finger to any park rangers you see along the way yurrrrrrrrrrrr
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You might be my spirit animal
 
Different states have different laws about it. [tag=207297]@elm.[/tag] might be able to chip in a little more about how it is in US.

Im from Canada, so basically any forest service road that stops being ploughed in winter is fair game for sleds unless there are elk habitats or drinking water table. Most snowmobile clubs that groom an area usually have a trail fee. You need to have liability insurance on the sled incase you kill or injure some one or damage something. To get insurance, it needs to be registered as an off road vehicle.

I know Mt.Baker has a "Recreation Area" with a "Sno-Park" where you pay an annual fee to park there. Dont know if you need to be insured or registered. America seems so foreign to me.

I dont want to discourage you, but riding sleds is fuckin hard and exhausting. Generally I am more tired after a day of sledd skiing than after a day of just touring, granted i do get way more skiing in. Guys make it look so easy. climbing steep pitches with a foot of fresh, doin hop overs and bow ties. Reality is, those guys have years and decades of experience. Riding two up is even harder. Dont expect to ski anything good at all in your first year of sledding. just getting stuck trying carving and digging yourself out. Most people first just start by doing sled access touring.
 
AFAIK they’re all pretty much the same, the avy 1 is a standardized curriculum no matter where you go. Some guides have started splitting classes up by motorized and non-motorized though, and I’d imagine that the way they teach safe travel in avalanche terrain is pretty different in the motorized classes. I’d say if your main focus is skiing I’d go with the non motorized one.

14583992:MaTtToM86 said:
I appreciate the info and input. I'm curious if all avalanche training courses are essentially the same. With Colorado being roughly the closest area to Kansas City that would offer such training, would there be certain things to look for or do most courses (obviously offered by different outfits) hit the same basics and then temper to the goal of what the student wants to accomplish?; i.e. exploring actual snowmobile trails vs. utilizing the snowmobile to get to more remote areas of side and backcountry skiing.
Click to expand...
 
I sled out in montana and it’s pretty lax. You can sled most national forest. There’s a map highlighting where you can and cannot sled. You need to have your sled registered and buy a trail pass, but you could easily go your whole life without doing this and never get caught. You can find a trail pass online or at nearby gas stations/motorsport stores. If you’re out of state they’re around $40 and only last for a year. Idk what the passes are like in other states, but here they last 3 years with an instate license. Make sure your trailer lights work that’s the biggest thing.

you can technically get a dui on a sled, but all the sled cops i’ve seen don’t seem to care.

**This post was edited on Jan 26th 2024 at 3:19:26pm
 
I always use caltopo.com app for route planning. Enable "slope angle shading" - most avalanches occur between 30-45 degrees.

As mentioned, "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain" by Bruce Tremper is the definitive book. They used it for reference during both my AIARE 1&2 classes
 
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