Snowmobiles, or “snowmachines” as we call them in Alaska, have been a part of my life since I was about 14. My first machine was about 3 years older than I was when I started riding. It was a SkiDoo Super Olympique that my grandparents used on their homestead up near Talkeetna. I put a lot of miles on that sled, and as a result of it’s temperamental nature I got very good at rebuilding old snowmobile carburetors.
Technology has drastically improved the snowmobiles of today. The engines are bigger, suspensions are much better, reliability is better, and due to longer tracks with paddles they don’t get stuck as easily. Getting out on the snow is now much easier for the average person. We love to get out and see nature in the winter on these machines. The boys and I have somehow gotten a reputation as people who will take old machines and fix them up. I think we have been given about 10 machines over the years – some running, most not. Sometimes we are able to take parts off of one and use it to repair another. The blue machine above 28 years old and the red machine is 18. They both are solid running machines now.
We got several inches of snow last night and had fun today getting out on the trails around our house today. There is still not quite enough snow for smooth riding as lots of the bumps and tree roots are not fully covered, but we still had a great time. I think our next trip will be further north where the snow is deeper.