moving to washington state.. how is sledding? - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

Snoman1 · 07-12-2007, 12:38 AM

does anyone know what the sledding is like in washington.. near seattle?? moving from wisconsin next spring and I would like to beable to ride out there.. I found a few sites that show state trails east of the mountains but it looks like a couple hours drive in most directions from the seattle area and also what is most of the riding like? mostly mountains or a little of everything?? I am also guessing I'll need a different sled.. standard 98 zr 600carb w/1" lug and picks won't cut it very well..
anybody have any thoughts or recommendations when I get there..
thanks,
Rob

beefey · 07-13-2007, 12:36 AM

Cannot comment on the sledding in WA but this forum seems pretty stale right now. It's prolly because theres 6 months till the snow flies lol. I've been to Whistler, BC which is a 6 hour drive from Seattle and the sledding is insane! Those BC boys know how to ride. I doubt you'd want to take with anything less than an extreme mountain machine tho.

Whistler Blackcomb - Official Ski Resort Website - Whistler, BC, Canada

-Beefey

PolarisINDY500 · 07-13-2007, 01:16 AM

i would start here: WSSA's Home on the Web

they have web cams, forums, maps, contacts, trail reports, ect.

i'm actually on a similar indevor, however, my journey may take me to phoenix. what i did was search on the net, and i called the sled dealers, or cabins and asked for their "opinion" on sledding, and some basic questions.

one guy i work with lived in the seattle-area and he says he loved the sledding. he has a crossover, and when he moved back to IL, he only rides in da UP because its the closest thing he gets to the north west.

BC_Dan · 07-13-2007, 11:59 AM

There are days where the mountains in Wa get 3-4 feet of powder. (they steal it from Oregon..

There are many groomed trails where your sled will be appropriate, but if you want to play in the hills, you definitely need a longer track with a deeper lug. On those days of unlimited powder, a 151" will seem short, and you can't have enough horsepower. Seattle gets a TON of moisture, mostly rain, but the snow is not far to drive to.

You will find a lot of guys running AC Mountain Cats and Polaris RMK's, Ski-doo is also pretty popular. The serious hillclimbers will have 159" to 166" tracks with lots of mods to the engine to get the HP to keep it turning. A stock 800 will do very well until your skill level increases. The Polaris Dragon 600 or 700 may be a really good choice; the sled has nice power and is light and turns nicely. It's a different skill set that needs to be learned, be prepared to get stuck a lot, buy the right tools... a shovel is a must, and an avalanche beacon and a probe should be on your wish list as well. Washington's web page is very well done, you should be able to see all you need to see to start drooling!

Welcome to the West!

Snoman1 · 07-13-2007, 03:34 PM

thanks guys for all the info and updates.. I wasn't sure but had a feeling I should be able to feed the need in the white fluffy!!! I almost bought an F6 snopro but now glad I didn't..
I'll keep my eyes open for something more appropriate!
Thanks Again.