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Are you Over 50 and STILL SHREDDING?

Thread Rating
5.00 star(s)

TreewellDweller

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Feb 18, 2008
447
169
43
McCall, Idaho
Works for me in the steep and deep! Been using “The Jack” for almost ten years. Best riding buddy I’ve got. The rest of my buddies wait for me to help them get unstuck. Oh, yeah, I’m way past fifty and some past sixty. Looking forward to another great season.

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S
Apr 1, 2014
8
6
3
55.
Started riding 5 years ago. Skandic 600 ace WT as backcountry ski lift. Love it. Can't bring myself to sell it because it is such a good sled. Discovered sledding is really fun. Got pretty good at hooning the Skandic. Bought used 2016 174 T3. Great sled. Easy to not get stuck. More capable sled than I am a rider, which serves me well. Ride solo a fair amount. Ride high altitude in Rocky Mts.
Highjacker Lift is an absolute must have. Should be the first accessory everyone buys. Fantastic self rescue tool. Also folding saw and shovel, of course. Can solo extract sled from situations that would normally need at least 2 people. Their bungee extraction band is also simple, effective, cheap. I have 2 for extra length and pull. The ability to self rescue is critical, in my opinion. HighJacker is the cheapest insurance available. Plus, customer service is A++.
Primary riding buddy not always available. I've increased my riding partners chatting in the lot or out riding. If the ride goes well we exchange info. Sometimes they contact me, sometimes I contact them. Lots of others in same situation, like to ride and don't have large pool of partners to ride with. Really fun with new guys. I show them areas they didn't know about and vice versa. Been shown some really good 'hidden' areas. I connected with one 2 years ago on another forum. This season I connected with a 3-4 more potential riding partners when one of them posted "looking for riding partners" on that same forum.
Im about 210 suited up + 15-20 lbs equipment on sled. The 174 has so much float and traction I can navigate trees/off trail stuff slower. Don't really boondock but like poking around off trail. Plan to keep it for a long time so been upgrading components. I'd like to shorten my tunnel. Think rear tends to grab and drag on deep, steep uphills and side hilling.
Ride with overnight emergency kit. Radio. Avy pack. Spare fuel.
 
I

ice man

Member
Jan 26, 2008
119
15
18
oliver bc canada
51 now , ride a 18 axys 800 e.s. , stage 2 ,163 ,ride smarter not harder , most of my riding buddy's have quit have to ride solo some times , carry satelite communicator , snowshoes ,airbag , shovel , no more high marking or big air but can still boondock with the best of them , lost a buddy in an avalanche 10 years ago so very aware and ride safe.love the sport , not gona quit ,stay in shape and ride !
 
F
Nov 19, 2019
1
5
1
63 and living in the south. Heading for Idaho in February for what may be my last snowmobile adventure. I started sledding as a kid in Canada on a 1971 Alouette. Those were fantastic times. I've been in the south for more than 40 years now but make a trip once a year to the rockies if I can. I used to go with people my own age but they're no fun. I now go with guys in their 30s. They're more likely to dig me out when I gt in trouble.
 

Hooch

Member
Lifetime Membership
Premium Member
Jan 23, 2017
5
10
3
57
Pincher Creek, AB
Just turned 53 and every time I get a new sled I feel like I’m going the opposite direction with age. I’m riding a 19 Summit X 165x3 and it is way more maneuverable and forgiving than my 15 Summit X 154x2.5. The technology in the new sleds is so incredible there is no other option but to make you a better rider. My nieces husband and son were looking for their first sleds and didn’t want to spend a lot so I found them a 98 RMK 600 and an 01 RMK 700 that were in great shape. After tinkering on them and a small amount of test riding I am so glad those days are long gone, even though they were great sleds in their day they don’t compare to the new ones. I know the new ones aren’t cheap but even if you can upgrade to a newer used sled it helps compensate for the body falling apart. And I just had a heart attack 3 weeks ago but I have no plans on slowing down yet.
 

Cinno

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Premium Member
Nov 26, 2007
216
168
43
Stillwater,Mn
Still riding at 65+, started in my upper 40's. Still going but have been beaten down by open heart surgery and two strokes. Hoping this year on the Alpha will be a good year. Have two trips planned in late Jan and early Feb. I ride with younger guys that encourage and challenge me often and that makes my workouts preparing for snowmobiling worth it. I was once called a "Brain dead snowmobiler" by a back country skier after I pouched his downhill track. I now have earned that monicker.
 

gopher-it!

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Nov 28, 2007
323
75
28
61, 2011 rmk 162 power claw, 992 billet engine[ stocker motor for backup].
Timber sled front and rear suspention.
Started riding at 10 years old on a single ski twin track Alpine, 10 hp.
 

Calvin42

Well-known member
Premium Member
Oct 14, 2008
1,375
833
113
58
Cantonment, FL
54 and have been riding 46 years. Currently have a 2018 G4 175" and a 2020 X Expert 165". Still love riding as much as I did when I was a kid. Started out on a little Swinger snowmobile and then to a Yamaha SL292. Now some 35 sleds later, Oh how sleds have improved. Hope to keep going into my 70's, but only time will tell. Great family sport, but definitely an expensive sport. I guess it's part of what keeps me young.
 
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