03-18-2006, 11:55 AM
Just got back today from being treated to a complimentry VIP event. Two nights of dinners at a resort near Haliburton (Delta Pinestone) and an organized snow mobile tour through the Highlands as a guest of SnowTrax TV (OLN/TSN) and GlobalStar (sat phones).
What a time!
I'm a city boy and had never snowmobiled before and went on the assumption that 20 years of motorcycling is an immediately transferable skill.
Nothing like jumping in head first!
My first ride EVAH was in spring conditions (icy corners and crests, some wash outs, some rock), a 200km run on a technical course (no lakes) with a bunch of pros/experienced guys switching back and forth between 8 different machines all with more HP and sticker price more than a stock Focus.
A big loop from Haliburton up to Lake St Peter (Algonguin Park) and back: up/down, hill/dale, corn snow/ice, hardwood/conifer and all the latest and best brand new machines from Artic Cat, Ski-Doo and Yamaha; top shelf stuff all round and all the top of the line gear too.
Quite the adventure:
1. My sponsor submarines his machine (in a flooded ditch) and the host soaks himself during the recovery. We continue.
2. A co-worker of my sponsor rolls his $25G machine 3 times. Though he had been thrown clear he still had 2 dislocated fingers and a wicked bruised pelvis, possibly a head impact and started to go into shock. We were 10k from a road and 50k from cell range but of course every second person had a handheld sat phone so 9-11 was called and he was in an ambulance in 20 minutes. (this is why the sat company sponsors the snowmobile show; remote access).
3. One of the hosts from the TV show (VERY experienced) gets thrown and dislocates his thumb. After some brief discution it was promptly "relocated" in field and the ride continues.
4. During the short tow of the disabled machine from #2 (remove CVT belt to reduce rolling resistance) got damaged even more in a road crossing.
So much fun. I am so sore and can hardly walk, much more physical than I ever imagined. Around mid day I had found my groove and was mid pack (could keep up with the pros and ahead of the recreational experienced snow mobilers. No wonder I'm sore.
Props to my new friends at:
http://www.snowtraxtv.com/index.php
and the good folks who invited me:
http://www.globalstar.ca/
I don't mind promoting GlobalStar as it is an excellent product, I even promoted it well before the invite and in fact here on FC in the cell phone meet thread. Not to mention I have saved the company I work for 50% in sat bills ever since I recomended the switch. GlobalStar will soon have a North America plan so once my US roaming is eliminated another 50% may be saved. In my business the competitors are MSAT which just doesn't have the coverage (esp. in eastern Canada) and INMARSAT costs way too much.
What a time!
I'm a city boy and had never snowmobiled before and went on the assumption that 20 years of motorcycling is an immediately transferable skill.
Nothing like jumping in head first!
My first ride EVAH was in spring conditions (icy corners and crests, some wash outs, some rock), a 200km run on a technical course (no lakes) with a bunch of pros/experienced guys switching back and forth between 8 different machines all with more HP and sticker price more than a stock Focus.
A big loop from Haliburton up to Lake St Peter (Algonguin Park) and back: up/down, hill/dale, corn snow/ice, hardwood/conifer and all the latest and best brand new machines from Artic Cat, Ski-Doo and Yamaha; top shelf stuff all round and all the top of the line gear too.
Quite the adventure:
1. My sponsor submarines his machine (in a flooded ditch) and the host soaks himself during the recovery. We continue.
2. A co-worker of my sponsor rolls his $25G machine 3 times. Though he had been thrown clear he still had 2 dislocated fingers and a wicked bruised pelvis, possibly a head impact and started to go into shock. We were 10k from a road and 50k from cell range but of course every second person had a handheld sat phone so 9-11 was called and he was in an ambulance in 20 minutes. (this is why the sat company sponsors the snowmobile show; remote access).
3. One of the hosts from the TV show (VERY experienced) gets thrown and dislocates his thumb. After some brief discution it was promptly "relocated" in field and the ride continues.
4. During the short tow of the disabled machine from #2 (remove CVT belt to reduce rolling resistance) got damaged even more in a road crossing.
So much fun. I am so sore and can hardly walk, much more physical than I ever imagined. Around mid day I had found my groove and was mid pack (could keep up with the pros and ahead of the recreational experienced snow mobilers. No wonder I'm sore.
Props to my new friends at:
http://www.snowtraxtv.com/index.php
and the good folks who invited me:
http://www.globalstar.ca/
I don't mind promoting GlobalStar as it is an excellent product, I even promoted it well before the invite and in fact here on FC in the cell phone meet thread. Not to mention I have saved the company I work for 50% in sat bills ever since I recomended the switch. GlobalStar will soon have a North America plan so once my US roaming is eliminated another 50% may be saved. In my business the competitors are MSAT which just doesn't have the coverage (esp. in eastern Canada) and INMARSAT costs way too much.