Finally, we'€™re having winter fun in the Valley

The recent snows and cooler temperatures have transformed the Valley into the proverbial winter wonderland. The snowmobilers are racing along the shoulders of local highways, hopefully in a responsible manner, and the cross-country skiers have started touring the various trails available to them.

If you have the knowledge and mechanical skills to maintain your snowmachine, you have probably already “de-summerized” it for the winter season. If not, there are many local shops with facilities to do the work for you.

Many folks snowmachine in the backcountry, and I’m sure a few have already made a trip or two. I would strongly recommend that you make sure your machine is in top condition before you venture too far off established trails and away from the crowds. The last place you want to break down is a gazillion miles from anywhere with nobody around to help. Remember, you can travel farther in a half-hour on your snowmachine than you can walk in a day, so keeping your machine functional makes life a lot easier.

I’ve found my GPS unit to be invaluable when traveling off the beaten path, not only with its pre-programming capability to take me into a new area, but also to bring me back to the exact location I punched in as the “return to” waypoint. I can retrace my route on the return leg of the trip or go an entirely different way knowing I will still find where I parked my truck.

I do some trail riding, but I prefer traveling away from the populated areas. For that reason, I carry a lot of extra gear, just in case. My snowmachine is a big utility or working-class type, and even with a reverse gear occasionally can get bogged down. I’ve found that a collapsible snow shovel like the winter camping enthusiasts use is handy to dig an inclined ramp to help move it back up on top of the snowpack.

I’ve also found that a “come-along” can be invaluable to pull the machine out of situations where it can’t get itself out under its own power. Just as I carry a tow strap and connecting hardware with me on my ATV and in my pickup for use with the winches on those vehicles, I also have the same items along on the snowmachine. Sometimes I have used this stuff to pull other people out of situations or help with a short tow, so it’s worthwhile to have along.

I carry a basic set of tools to make adjustments or to piece the machine back together in the event a ski gets knocked out of alignment or the belt tension needs some twicking. A quart of extra two-cycle oil, a spare drive belt and spark plugs are under the seat too. My machine is a liquid-cooled unit, so a quart of pre-mixed anti-freeze is available as well.

A set of snowshoes and poles ride behind the seat in case I need to walk. A camp axe and a small machete are part of my gear too. My machine is almost 10 feet long, so brush on sharp turns has been my biggest problem. Having the ability to open up a larger turning area has saved me more than once. These implements also make cutting wood and building a warming fire a lot easier. The fire could be a life saver.

If I think there’s a chance I might end up traveling much after dark, I usually bring a sleeping bag along. I’m not planning to sleep out overnight, but if the trip takes longer than anticipated and I do have to overnight, I like to be warm. Several years ago, I found a cover-all type garment with a hood made out of the same material as space blankets. That item, plus an extra pair of heavy socks, a stocking cap and a pair of gloves, are in a vacuum-sealed bag under my snowmachine seat, just in case the need arises. So far, I’ve been able to keep the bag sealed.

While I tend to do a lot of riding by myself, I don’t recommend doing so. Having a companion along is safer and you have someone to enjoy the trip with. If you do ride by yourself, remember to always tell a responsible person where you are riding and when you expect to return. Cell phone coverage in the valley has improved dramatically since I started riding in the boondocks and I would recommend you have your cell in your pocket, but things still can happen. Telling someone where you are going and, most importantly, when you plan to return could end up saving your life in the event something happened and you were unable to phone for help.

I’ll be taking my satellite tracking unit with me while riding this year. I’ve pre-programmed it to e-mail my wife with updates and GPS co-ordinates on a map. By pushing a couple of buttons, I can alert help and have a rescue team on the way. I just hope I never need to push those buttons.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by e-mailing sports@frontiersman.com.