Well, I suppose it had to happend sometime. We have a couple of inches of snow and the die-hards are already trying out their new sleds. While we’ve only had about three inches here at Macks Inn, up on Black Canyon they have nearly a foot.
You can ride in a foot of snow as long as you’re darn sure there’s no hidden obstacles to reach out and mangle your undercarriage. So what that means is, if you’re willing to ride nothing but roads, you can ride. If you get off the road at all, you’re going to have a mess.
Last year (kind of pre-winter) I saw a guy at the gas station there at Elk Creek who had just come from the dealer in West Yellowstone. The repair bill on his sled was nearly $4,000. There was precious little snow and he decided to do a wowie on the bank where the road had been carved out. He hit a big rock (apparently disguised as a sagebush) and tore the whole bottom out of his sled.
So if you’re thinking about coming and trying out your new sled, don’t. There isn’t enough snow yet. We’ll let you know the minute there is, but right now the risk is too high. If you just can’t stand the thought that someone got to the snow before you, make sure you never leave the road (or trail.) See you soon!!
Wow! Snow at the end of September has to be a good sign if you’re a snowmobiler. It started snowing about 5:00 a.m. today and has continued throughout the morning. We’ll see what happens this afternoon. I had heard earlier that El Nino was blowing in this year, which would normally be the harbinger of a “below average” snow year. But who knows when the first storm comes on the last day of Sept.
Island Park has been a winter playground for more years than snowmobiles have been around. It is a mecca for snowmobilers all around the country. In spite of the claims on the Utah license plates, Idaho has the best snowmobiling snow that ever fell on a mountain (hence all the Utah license plates here in the winter.)
Earlier this week we were talking about fishing (and it’s likely we’ll be doing even more of that in the weeks that come.) With temperatures yesterday near 50 degrees, this may well be the last post on snowmobiles until next fall (well, we’ll probably make an announcement when they stop grooming the trails. Other than that, snowmobiling is old news.)
It’s been interesting to see how the economic crisis has slowed the flow of  visitors into Island Park (and everywhere else in the world) this year.  For some that’s a boon.  We have the greatest snow imaginable, hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails, a state park (Harriman State Park) with groomed cross-country ski trails, wildlife, and unequalled natural beauty and we don’t have to share it with hardly anybody.  
On Monday I commented that anyone venturing into the back-country should be equipped with a shovel, a probe and an avalanche beacon.   The snow this time of year is very unstable and unpredictable. Those who don’t have experience digging snow pits and assessing the danger (or who don’t take the time to do so,) are at risk this time of years. 
