Snowmobiling

AndyinSteamboat
AndyinSteamboat
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4 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Snowmobiling

  • February 13, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Hotcurrie from Perth, Australia
Snowmobiling

Saddleback Ranch is best known as the location for the reality program "Rich Kids Cattle Drive." It is a 7,200-acre working cattle ranch run by the Lacovetto family and located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains about 20 minutes from Steamboat Springs.

The ranch runs numerous activities, including snowmobile tours, cattle-feeding sleigh rides, horseback riding, and dinner sleigh rides. We decided to try the snowmobiling at $85 for the driver and $45 for a passenger.

The tours are guided and last about two hours. They take in some fantastic views of Mt. Werner, the Flattops, and the Sleeping Giant as you wind you way through meadows, up hills, and down narrow tree-lined trails. The tour culminates in an all out "Free For All' in a back paddock, where riders are free to go as fast as they can around the meadow.

We rode 2004 model two-person Polaris snowmobiles, which were very well maintained; I especially liked the hand-warmer feature. Flat out in a straight line, with one rider, they go about 85km/h, but it seems a lot faster when you're actually doing it. This kind of speed makes cornering tricky. If you just turn the handlebars, you will turn, but it'll take awhile. You really need to lean into the corners to get them to turn quickly, so hanging off the side of a snowmobile, doing 85km/h, bouncing over rough ground, and trying to turn a sharp corner really gets the heart pumping!

The tour begins with an orientation lap of a nearby paddock. This allows everyone to get used to turning, stopping, etc., before we hit the trail. The tour then heads out into the back country, slowly at first and then speeds up as everyone gets more and more comfortable with their machine. Unfortunately, you can only go as fast as the slowest person, and in our tour, that person happened to be directly behind the guide. So it wasn't unusual for the guide to pull 200 to 300m ahead only to have to stop and wait for us; this got a little frustrating. The scenery is pretty spectacular, though.

At the end of the tour, we headed back to the barn for a hot cup of chocolate and a cookie.

For more pictures and information please visit my website www.shanecurrie.id.au

From journal Christmas in Steamboat

Snowmobiling

  • April 19, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by AndyinSteamboat from Steamboat Springs , Colorado
For the deepest, freshest, driest (fluffiest) snow in Colorado, the northern mountain range is by far my favorite. I ride Routt National Forest's rolling hills, deep and challenging snow, expansive Aspen stands, and tons of near-private roaming room every winter, and whether you have your own sleds or are looking to try something new and exciting, Steamboat has it for sure. There are three activity companies (see local Chamber) if you need a tour guide for just a two hour tour or an all-day adventure with the boys. If you're coming on your own, the forest service office here has beautifully descriptive maps of the trails and meadows, put out by a local "Routt Powder Riders" group of pre-hisoric snowmobilers.

If you've never thought this would appeal to you, don't be judgemental until you try it. I was a tree-hugger in Oregon before I converted to the wild west, and I've grown to love the mobility that snowmobiles offer. There's no way my snowshoes or x-country skis could get me as far back country to some of the most beautiful 360 degree views of the surrounding mountain ranges of northern Colorado - the Zirkels, the Neversummers, the Gore Range, and Hahns Peak, a local dormant volcano. After a hard day (or two!) of riding, make sure you soak in some of the renowned hotsprings of the area. Call the chamber or their central reservation department for more info, these two resources are very well-versed and friendly.

From journal Ski Town USA

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