SNOWY RANGE WYOMING SNOWMOBILING

Snowmobile trails go up, down and even sideways in Wyoming's Snowy Range,the developed center of the sport in this section of The Cowboy State.
   Local gentry merely call the area the "Snowy's," their designation for the trails in The Medicine Bow National Forest.  The range is easy to reach from I-80 along the southern border of The State of Wyoming, with the Sierra Madres to the west and Colorado to the south.
   More than 100 miles of designated snowmobile trails are within The Snowy Range complex, most of them regularly groomed and marked by The Wyoming Recreation Commission with cooperation with local lodges and nearby snowmobile clubs.  Snowmobilers from nearby Laramie and Cheyenne, as well as other communities, flock to the trails but their snowmobiles are quickly and widely dispersed over the vast winter wilderness.

SKI-DOO ALPINE: ALASKA TEST

November 1973 - Did you know that a team of Alpines raced in 1972 in the most gruelling snowmobile race ever to be run?
   They went the distance over bitter Alaskan terrain, from Nenanna clear to Nome.  And not only did they race, they won the race!  It's A testament to the fact that the bloody machines really know how to stay together, and a testament to the fact that there were times when the Alpines were the the only machines that could get through.  They broke trails for the losers.
   There aren't many people out there on big workhorse snowmobiles, but those who swear by them, the trappers,  farmers,  forest service people and trailbreakers.  They figured it was about time to see what the swearing was all about.

THE 1981 YAMAHA EXCELL III

In 1981 Yamaha said "Start it with two fingers then hang on with both hands."
That was their newest snowmobile for the 1981 Yamaha line-up. It had a high performance luxury design and It was powered with a mean 340cc twin cylinder engine with electric start, which had an extremely wide power band to give it more muscle.  It was built extremely light and nimble with a long travel rear suspension, assuring maximum traction over any kind of terrain

SNOWMOBILING IN THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA

You can ride all day or as long as you like, during your snowmobile vacation in the Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Ride the highest mountains between The Rockies and The Alps. Cruise hundreds of miles of trails that are so well-marked and groomed you can get lost in the pines on your way to the open powder meadows. Out here, even The Governor rides the hills.

SNOWMOBILERS COMPARED TO SKIERS

October 1979 - Two survey's of 1976-77 shows that snowmobilers out number down hill skiers in The United States.  There are more than 14 million snowmobilers in The United States compared with 12.46 million skiers.
   Surprised ??, The surveys, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation of Princeton, New Jersey, for the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, U.S. Department of Interior, reveal some interesting statistics, Such as - 25% of the nation's snowmobilers have a family income bracket of from $15,000. to $25,000. Large numbers of snowmobilers also have salaries in the $6,000. to $10,000. and $10,000. to $15,000. ranges.  And although the "over $50,000." income bracket represented only two percent of the population survey, 13 percent of the snowmobile population fits into that higher income bracket.  The current snowmobiler is young, either in the 18-24 year bracket (15 percent) or the 25 to 34 year old bracket (21 percent) - farmers 13 percent shows up as snowmobilers, although they represent only 2 percent of the population as a whole.
   The typical snowmobiler has an average 12 year education, far higher than the U.S. population at large - The typical snowmobiler lives in a rural area, is part of a family with one or two children, lives in a one family house, and is white. (11 percent of the nation's snowmobilers are black)

1989 SKI-DOO RAVE ENGINE

Ski-Doo buyers were happy to learn of the New Formula MACH I, a muscle bound 580cc twin designed to give 650s a run for their money. The MACH I is unique that it featured a Rotax Automatic Variable Exhaust (RAVE) system that provided optimum performance throughout the sleds entire powerband. The new sled utilized  the same chassis and front end components as the other Formula machines, however, a new gas-filled, monoshock rear suspension soaked up the bumps

THE GRIZZLY

October 1983 - Snowmobilers in The United States and Canada were discovering the AKTIV-Grizzley.
   This big, heavy duty, twin tracked snowmobile was designed with work in mind. The Swedish manufacturer built a rugged machine to fill all the utilitarian needs for over snow use.
   The Grizzley De Luxe, powered by a 432cc fan-cooled twin cylinder engine, easily tows the matching snowmobile trail groomer.  The roller style drag is ideal for most snow conditions.  The serrated blade across the front cuts moguls and hardpack. Then the snow rolls over a rounded pan attached to the blade.  Here it is aerated before it passes under the roller which does the packing.

THE NEW 1975 SUZUKI FURY

Winter 1974 - Waiting to try its wings - The 1975 Suzuki Fury introduced its first free air model.  A 432cc Free-Air Twin Cylinder Engine.
   It featured a aluminum chassis, slide rail suspension and a cleated track - all wrapped up inside a silver and orange metal flake color scheme.
   The Fury's engine featured pointless electronic ignition and a new CEM manufacturing  process that resulted in an extra hard surface coating on the cylinder walls, designed to provide closer engine tolerances and less engine wear

SNOWMOBILING IN THE WEST

When it comes to snowmobiling in the west - the mountains, the powder, the forested hills, the rivers, the canyons - there is a great abundance in variety and scenery.  Its tough to determine which state has the best snow conditions.  Every state and province has unique areas which makes winter a beautiful time of the year.

SNOWMOBILING IN SOUTH DAKOTA

If you enjoy riding snowmobiles in The Midwest, You'll love riding in The Black Hills of South Dakota.  Have you ever spent a snowmobile vacation in western South Dakota?  It offers a combination of the best snowmobiling and site seeing in the snowbelt.
   Probably the best thing about spending a snowmobiling vacation at The Black Hills of South Dakota is that the fun doesn't stop when you put your sled away for the day.  There are so many attractions for the tourist to take in that you're in for a full day everyday.
   Snowmobiling, of course is the prime concern, The Black Hills offers some of the finest riding anywhere with hundreds of miles of trails through and around the hills.
   The people in the Black Hills say, "Snow doesn't close us down, it just transforms the land into a winter playground."