Top US Backcountry Snowboarding / Snowmobiles
If you dig deep enough, most of the big resort towns will hire out sleds…if you leave a big enough deposit. Don’t bother with the big snomo tour companies as they will only let you go out in their group. You need some local knowledge to find some small, one man operation, who probably hasn’t thought through his liability policy that well. I’ve done what your after in CA, UT and WY, so it is possible.
Word of warning, sledding in powder is super hard. Those suckers take a good 10min to dig out if you get stuck (I get stuck about every 20min :( ).
Thank for the warning, Im not trying to head out too far about it just hit some fresh powder
Hey Lester,
The other members make some good points. The first consideration is safety; either go with a guided group, or someone who has a lot of experience with sleds and knowledge of the backcountry. Knowledge, preparation and the correct equipment are key to staying safe. Transceiver, shovel and probe at the very least. If you are tempted by the backcountry, definitely take the time to do a backcountry / avalanche course so you can learn the basics about avalanche rescue.
They are pretty hard to handle in powder and they definitely take some getting used to.
That all said, sledding in the backcountry is super fun! I was lucky enough to experience it last season. Take the right precautions, really think about what you’re doing, and you can have an amazing experience out there while staying safe.
You can read about my experience here: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/3476/P1155/#129420
Let me know if you have any questions.
thanx for the info
The guided group off the start sounds like a good idea but you mean but is it like a group to just ride snowmobile or snowmobile with a snowboard on the back? As for the equipment for the backcountry I stocked up last season, only thing I don’t have in a Airbag Backpack but its on my list of things to buy, and before I put it to good use will definitely take a Avalanche course, how long are those courses normally? because locally we do not have any and if I were too take it during a snowboard trip that would be fine but I don’t want it to eat up too much time
I checked out the link and that looks sweet man, you guys just snowmobiles right? no snowboarding? just wondering because if that’s a possibility in whistler I would try it when i go in March
Speaking of Whistler how is it over there March-April ??? New snow and all and overall conditions??
Hey Deano, lets get one anyway, we’ll put a wicked silencer on it, get night vision goggles and take it out at 4am and come back after 6:30pm. The greenies and national sparks and wildfires are a bunch of wankers anyway, I swear we’ll only run over a few pygmy possums!
So do you just not need a formal licence like in NSW? but you must need a reason for having one?
Do you need rego?
Not too sure of the full ins and outs but can find out if you want me to?
I’m heading up the hill this weekend and a friend has a sled. Will ask him.
I do know that unless you are ‘official staff/business/have a need’ you are not allowed to use them in the resorts/NP’s. I’d assume they are required to have rego, not too sure if there’s a requirement for a special licence. Not too sure if the RMB keeps track of who’s got one and who doesn’t either.
Yeah let us know!
Hey Lester,
The other members make some good points. The first consideration is safety; either go with a guided group, or someone who has a lot of experience with sleds and knowledge of the backcountry. Knowledge, preparation and the correct equipment are key to staying safe. Transceiver, shovel and probe at the very least. If you are tempted by the backcountry, definitely take the time to do a backcountry / avalanche course so you can learn the basics about avalanche rescue.
They are pretty hard to handle in powder and they definitely take some getting used to.
That all said, sledding in the backcountry is super fun! I was lucky enough to experience it last season. Take the right precautions, really think about what you’re doing, and you can have an amazing experience out there while staying safe.
You can read about my experience here: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/3476/P1155/#129420
Let me know if you have any questions.
thanx for the info
The guided group off the start sounds like a good idea but you mean but is it like a group to just ride snowmobile or snowmobile with a snowboard on the back? As for the equipment for the backcountry I stocked up last season, only thing I don’t have in a Airbag Backpack but its on my list of things to buy, and before I put it to good use will definitely take a Avalanche course, how long are those courses normally? because locally we do not have any and if I were too take it during a snowboard trip that would be fine but I don’t want it to eat up too much time
I checked out the link and that looks sweet man, you guys just snowmobiles right? no snowboarding? just wondering because if that’s a possibility in whistler I would try it when i go in March
Speaking of Whistler how is it over there March-April ??? New snow and all and overall conditions??
I’m guessing the guided snowmobile tours don’t include any snowboarding.
A basic course takes about three days but they’re pretty fun to do. We did a bunch of backcountry shredding in waist deep pow. It’s interesting and you’ll learn a lot. Definitely do a course before venturing out. Make sure everyone you’re with has knowledge and rescue gear.
We could have taken our boards but we wanted to spend the whole time sledding. I can snowboard daily in Whistler but the opportunity to take sleds out into the backcountry doesn’t come too often. I don’t even know if I would have had the energy to rip some lines. I wasn’t accustomed to riding a sled and those things work you so hard. I was completely exhausted by the end of it and my legs were jelly.
You should have decent snow in March / April but it really depends on the season. The last two seasons have had pretty epic late season conditions. March has been great. April is less reliable but you can still score some pow if you’re lucky.
I would def do an avi course, and do a guided tour with a local. Then venture out on your own after that.
Every area is different and if it was easy every man and his dog would be doing it.
Heed all warnings and if the reports say things are unstable don’t head out. Too many lives were lost last season (one is too many!) due to the conditions.
Rider26 and Ozgirl thank you for the info, definitely gonna do the avi course next chance i get
Lester FYI - There’s an avi course run at Hotham generally once or twice a season.
I think one was on the weekend of 18th & 19th. Ski patrol would probably be able to provide you with further information.
I believe Lester resides in the USA.
Ah ok.
Information is useful for others here though. I’ve been meaning to do one.
Hey Deano, lets get one anyway, we’ll put a wicked silencer on it, get night vision goggles and take it out at 4am and come back after 6:30pm. The greenies and national sparks and wildfires are a bunch of wankers anyway, I swear we’ll only run over a few pygmy possums!
Deal
Lester FYI - There’s an avi course run at Hotham generally once or twice a season.
I think one was on the weekend of 18th & 19th. Ski patrol would probably be able to provide you with further information.
Thanx for the info but yeahh im here in Chicago, my Avi course will be done one of my vacations, or if I move out west ohh wouldn’t it be nice
Hey guys - TahoeChappy here from the EasyLoungin forums. I clicked on the contest link that “Middle Finger” (not sure if same poster name on here) had posted over on our stuff outta curiosity, and in clicking around to check this site out saw this topic.
The Lake Tahoe region has the greatest concentration of resorts in all of North America, and even with that there’s only one business that I know of that will rent you “real” sleds on a trailer that you’re free to hook up to your vehicle and take wherever you want. By “real” I mean 700 / 800 Skidoo’s or Polaris mountain sleds and not some trail / tour crap. It’s $300 per day and there are no 1 hour / half day / lesser dollar amounts or times. I know the owner and he likes to laugh about people with no prior snowmobile experience who rent them since he charges a substantial “rescue fee” to come get people unstuck. And if you’re going in any real powder like we can get here in Tahoe after a storm (30, 60, 100+ cm’s), you will get stuck. So many times that you’ll want to cry. And that’s if you don’t hit a tree or end up in a tree well.
In short, the learning curve for riding snowmobiles in powder is brutal. I’ve been sledding for 10+ years and even now I wouldn’t dare go out without a buddy who doesn’t have the same ability, avi training, and general backcountry experience.
So to the OP, I understand your enthusiasm and how enticing it might look, but I think that (a) there are going to be far fewer rental opportunities for the proper type of sled you need in powder than what you might think, and (b) on top of the hefty daily rental fee / security deposit you’re going to need local guide(s). Even at that, since everyone sues everyone here in the States, I’m not sure what insurance / liability issues there are as well as what type of proof of prior avalanche training someone might require.
Your best bet I think? Finding a friend of a friend or whatever in the States who would do you a big favor and take you out for a nominal price plus beer plus a nice steak dinner…...
Hope that helps!
TahoeChappy!
Great post and makes a lot of sense!
Welcome to the forums!
Hey Tahoe Chappy, can you hang around here please, thats a great post and is awesome to have what amounts to local knowledge on this stuff. I was in Tahoe last Xmas and unfortunately did not get to experience any powder whatsoever. All around that area and down in Mammoth it looked like there was so many opportunities to get a sled out and go mad in the backcountry.
Coming from Australia we aren’t allowed to do it here at all and after seeing nonstop footage of pro’s on dvd’s going backcountry on sleds it does make it seem like the absolute ultimate in boarding adventure, more so in some respects then heli. If I get back to Tahoe I am happy to furnish you with gas, beer, bourbon and steak dinners in exchange for backcountry sled/snowboarding.