Pin it and Wiggle

By: Ashlyn Baird

By KAVU

June 20^th, 2023

Exploring the North on the Bullet with Butterfly Wings!

There are only a few vital points to remember when sledding:

1. You’re not stuck until one of the boys pulls ya out.

2. Never…. EVER look at a tree. Once you’ve made eye contact, you’re locked in. Say goodbye to your a-arms.

3. Be prepared to spend as much time in the shop as you do on the hill. Riding a sled is like riding an egg.

Things. Will. Break.

400 lb pink beast with 180 ponies under the hood....

Not only was it a dream to have one pony as a kiddo, but one hundred and eighty?! I’ve run ultra-marathons and let me tell ya: controlling this beast for an hour whoops me into shape the same way an eight-hour mountain run does.

It has been one of the most humbling learning curves I’ve experienced.....

but what a hoot this winter has been!

It is pretty neat getting into this sport, and seeing how many other females crush it in the mountains on these crazy machines. Its not an easy sport, and getting into it with the right crew is crucial to stay motivated after you’ve "wheel-of-fortuned", been buried, or lifted the sled ten times in a day; not to mention, the communication and teamwork that goes into a day on the hill! You’ve got to make sure you’re not inadvertently getting your buddies into terrain that risks getting home safely. You’ve simply got to stick together and karma is key. In the back country, you better start digging when your pals are "trenched in", because you’re guaranteed to need their help later.

Heck, with this crew... a sled is being towed out almost every ride.

Learning in Bozeman, MT has been a real treat. Surrounded 360 degrees by massive peaks, beautiful meadows, and endless trails allows for some great access for the whole crew. Getting up north, however, was the dream…

Welcome to Sicamous, BC, Canada..... where the people are nice, and the snow is DEEP.

It was an adventure just getting up there in the first place! Nearly the entire population of Whitetail deer in Montana, and elk in Canada, were partying on the roads. Lesson were learned.... that trailers with 2 ply tires will in fact transform a 12-hour drive into a 24-hour haul.

After a swift and beautiful stop in Fernie, BC (a huge thank you to the crew at Snowy Peaks RV Repair for coming in on their day off to get us back on the road), we got to home base and rested up for 6 days of the best sledding any of us had experienced.

Canada was everything we dream of.... plus a cherry on top. Unlike the Volkswagen size whoops we are used to, local snowmobiling clubs in Sicamous and Revelstoke groom their trails. And thank goodness, because 30 kilometers of that and your spine would compress enough to shrink you 5 inches!

After climbing a few thousand feet with beautiful views of faraway peaks and massive lakes, we reached heaven on earth. It was more snow than I had ever seen, and the sleds absolutely loved the conditions.

From day one, many of us experienced a true "Revelstuck" and the 10 feet of snow (plus some tree wells) swallowed our sleds whole. The creek beds formed a pillowy highway and the chutes made for a speedy racetrack to the top where helicopters, skiers, and sleds united into a very stoked group of folks.

Completely still with the sun shining and the snow sparkling, we were experiencing the feeling we had been yearning for all season. We had reached the top of the world.