When did you start sledding in the mountains?

FatGuy

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Ahh man this is the best thread on the net as far as I am concerned. If I had a time machine I would go back to then in a heart beat.
Absolutly love the pics. Good on ya. There has to be more guys with classic photos out there.

I only started sledding mountains since 05 so really I got nothing. Lol. But growing up in Manitoba riding the 82 Polaris cutlass with a 440 jimmy rigged into it got me my jollies for many years.

Cant wait to see more.
 

oler1234

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What kind of sled is this one?? And where can a guy get one?? already having vintage sled mod ideas.



Snow321.jpg
 

ferniesnow

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Awesome thread! Great idea and great pictures. Thanks.

PS how did those guys survive? More than 1 on the hill at a time and I can't tell for sure but I didn't see beacon, probe, and shovel. No back packs with survival gear, no extra gas, and no one drinking beers....geeesh it must have been boring!!!!
 

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This has to be the Best thread on S&M, really great to see them old girls up there. Couldn't imagine riding all day then coming down the Renshaw trail on one of those sleds, Back when they made men tough. lol.

Dad started taking me when I was 14, he had a 95 Wildcat 700, and he would rent a little Phaser for me to ride. we went once a year, then in 2000 he picked up a ZR 600 121 track, and I took over the Wildcat. we started going twice a year. eventially I got tired of wrenching on the Wildcat, and switched to Yamaha, got a 2004 Mountain Viper, ran that for 5 years and went back to Cat, now running a 1000 CrossFire, Still get out twice a year to McBride. Not the fastest or the highest, and still need to learn how to ride, lol. but I have fun, just to get up there and tool around.

"SNOWMOBILING, IT'S NOT JUST A SPORT....... IT'S A WAY OF LIFE"
 

jaredszakacs

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thank you for this thread! I wish i could get my dads old vhs tape they made in yellowstone to work! I remeber when my parents would bring me and my sister to yellowstone and waking up to 3-4 feet of fresh on the sleds in the morning going for a ride to ol faithful and seeing the buffalo all over definately some great memories! My first sled was a kitty kat then a yamaha sno scoot blue with a kickstart! rode a few of my dads jags and indy's around.
 
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jpgmtech

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What kind of sled is this one?? And where can a guy get one?? already having vintage sled mod ideas.



View attachment 124393

1979 Moto-Ski Super Sonic 340 LC. This was the brother to the Blizzard 6500? if I remember right. Same as the Ski-Doo but with a Moto-Ski name/color. Kinda like GM/Chevrolet trucks. The last of that group of three Super-Sonics was still kicking around in someone's shed about 5? years ago, but I have lost track. The last time I actually saw it run in the mountains it had a 521 Rotax, 124x16.5" track and 2" paddles. Outclimbed everything else we had at the time, that was probably 20 years ago now. They did tons of mods to those things to make them reliable and work.
 
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jpgmtech

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Awesome thread! Great idea and great pictures. Thanks.

PS how did those guys survive? More than 1 on the hill at a time and I can't tell for sure but I didn't see beacon, probe, and shovel. No back packs with survival gear, no extra gas, and no one drinking beers....geeesh it must have been boring!!!!

LOL! Beacons didn't exist. Shovels and Probes? Nope. No cabins (where they were riding), no trail grooming. Heck, no trails in places, had to make your own. No backpacks but they did pack gas (rode with it strapped to the side of the running board) and beer? Well, beer did exist at the time... ;-)

As far as avalanche training, these boys learned by observation and learned quick too. Not to diminish the need for avalanche training and awareness, but Dad could probably teach the important points anyone needs to know in three sentences. Not to brag or anything, LOL!
 
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JBDoo

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Thanks for this thread and pics. Back then there was no retardnet to argue who's sled was better everybody was just out for some fun. My first mountain trip was in 92, some of my older friends took me to Revy. We were all on short track late 80s Phazers except one guy had a 90 Mach 1 short track. We made it all the way back to Turbo and to the far end of the ridge at Frisbee on .7" tracks. Then we hit the strippers in Revy....ah.... the good old days. :) Keep the pics coming they're awesome!!!!!
 

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Great pics, love looking at the old pics of sledding, started sledding in the mountains in 1984 on a 377 ski doo the good old days....
 

barleyfarmer

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1979 Moto-Ski Super Sonic 340 LC. This was the brother to the Blizzard 6500? if I remember right. Same as the Ski-Doo but with a Moto-Ski name/color. Kinda like GM/Chevrolet trucks. The last of that group of three Super-Sonics was still kicking around in someone's shed about 5 years ago, but I have lost track. The last time I actually saw it run in the mountains it had a 521 Rotax, 124x16.5" track and 2" paddles. Outclimbed everything else we had at the time, that was probably 20 years ago now. They did tons of mods to those things to make them reliable and work.
Before that I think they were called a RV!Buddy had a oval racer with a 250 engine or something crazy small like that but strung right out!I was like 9 or 10 when I saw it but remember it would go like a raped ape but almost always get towed back to the yard!!
 

overkill131313

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motor-ski sonic (cross country?)
I sold a very rare 1 of 3 long track a few years ago! someone did a nasty paint job and put a 521 in it! motor went to edmonton....sled went to Sask! I should have kept it but I needed the money! it was a rare find and would have made the best vintage hill climber!


DSC_6080.jpg
DSC_6078.jpg
What kind of sled is this one?? And where can a guy get one?? already having vintage sled mod ideas.



View attachment 124393
 

jpgmtech

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Just passed the 400 mark in photos. A few more highlights from the late '70's!

View attachment 124373

Okay, gonna try and remember all the details on Dad's old sled and how it ended up. Going by memory here, so may be slightly off on some of the finer details.

1979 Moto-Ski Super-Sonic 340.
  • 340 replaced with a hand-ported/polished 440 Rotax, 340 twin pipes. Bored carbs (36.5mm?) This motor ran head-to-head with the 505 big-bores of the day.
  • Gutted muffler
  • Comet Clutch
  • Updated Ski-Doo secondary for durability (had a LH side chaincase setup, the '83ish scandic driven pulley was the last one to make it on his sled eventually)
  • Hand-made outside-air intake system (prevent vapor lock)
  • Fuel pump moved to a hole in the bulkhead to be cooled by snow. (again preventing vapor lock)
  • Cut and tapered tunnel (first one we know of in Western Canada)
  • Chaincase/Driven Pulley to Motor brace (sound familiar? LOL)
  • Chaincase to frame brace
  • Boxed in the upper portion of the front bulkhead to prevent bulkhead twist/cracking, stabalize motor mounts.
  • Visible in this picture is the full-wrap front bumper made out of thin mild box-section steel. This was built to help protect the fiberglass bellypan and to help pull out of the snow. The jig for that was still kicking around 10 years ago and Dad finally threw the jig out.
  • 114x16.5x0.5 track, stock.

Sled was sold in the early/mid eighties. Lost track of where it ended up.
 
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moyiesledhead

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What kind of sled is this one?? And where can a guy get one?? already having vintage sled mod ideas.



View attachment 124393

Got one in my back yard, but it's not for sale. Just waiting for me to have time to do a restoration. Looking for an engine if anyone has one!!!!! Rotax 340 freeair.

I was born and raised in the mountains and started riding here in 1968 on a Motoski Zephyr. 299cc Hirth engine with a whopping 18hp! In those days Telus used to take a Tucker snowcat up Moyie mountain 3 times a week making the top relatively accessable for us most days. Made a pretty good trail after we talked him in to moving over a bit each time. The old steel tracks were narrower than our sleds were and made a miserable trail if he stayed in the same track. :d
 

overkill131313

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Okay, gonna try and remember all the details on Dad's old sled and how it ended up.

1979 Moto-Ski Super-Sonic 340.
  • 340 replaced with a hand-ported/polished 440 Rotax, 340 twin pipes. Bored carbs (36.5mm?) This motor ran head-to-head with the 505 big-bores of the day.
  • Gutted muffler
  • Comet Clutch
  • Updated Ski-Doo secondary for durability (had a LH side chaincase setup, the '83ish scandic driven pulley was the last one to make it on his sled eventually)
  • Hand-made outside-air intake system (prevent vapor lock)
  • Fuel pump moved to a hole in the bulkhead to be cooled by snow. (again preventing vapor lock)
  • Cut and tapered tunnel (first one we know of in Western Canada)
  • Chaincase/Driven Pulley to Motor brace (sound familiar? LOL)
  • Chaincase to frame brace
  • Boxed in the upper portion of the front bulkhead to prevent bulkhead twist/cracking, stabalize motor mounts.
  • Visible in this picture is the full-wrap front bumper made out of thin mild box-section steel. This was built to help protect the fiberglass bellypan and to help pull out of the snow. The jig for that was still kicking around 10 years ago and Dad finally threw the jig out.
  • 114x16.5x0.5 track, stock.

Sled was sold in the early/mid eighties. Lost track of where it ended up.

after alot of digging their might have been 3 build....I had one! here are some pics....the work was incredible...it seemed a new tunnel was built in factory after hours in the Race department......mine had the 521 with a fancy fiber glass intake to bring in cold air.....I wonder if mine was yours? I have not heard anymore about the other 2 but the rumor was 3 were built. DSCF0237.JPG DSCF0240.JPG DSC_6081.jpg

I have more pics of sled.....ask your dad if it looks like it was his? mine had a 521 but sold it seperate from the sled!
 
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jpgmtech

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after alot of digging their might have been 3 build....I had one! here are some pics....the work was incredible...it seemed a new tunnel was built in factory after hours in the Race department......mine had the 521 with a fancy fiber glass intake to bring in cold air.....I wonder if mine was yours? I have not heard anymore about the other 2 but the rumor was 3 were built.

I have more pics of sled.....ask your dad if it looks like it was his? mine had a 521 but sold it seperate from the sled!

Dads was not a cross country, someone may have to correct me but I think the cross country's were a special edition sled that come with a 124" long track? I remember Dad talking about them at any rate. Possible that Gerard Karpik was involved in their development and suspension??

Dad tapered his tunnel right from the front, far more agressive than that one. I have more picks to scan tonight and I will look a little closer. Quite a few of those sleds did end up with 521's after the fact.

Looks like you got a rare bird there!!!
 

eclipse1966

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my first ever ride on a sled was 1969 on a skidoo at Wapta Lodge back when sleds were allowed to run in the parks. My dad would take me.....I was 3 (dont remember). In 1979 started again. Dad bought my brother and I a 1977 TNT 440. Man that thing ripped for its time. POS in powder though. Then he bought us each ET340 long tracks. Going up Hospital Creek in Golden we need to change the jets on the trail as elevation was an issue.
During our graduating year in 1984 we went sledding at Quartz September 26th. Earliest ever! Remember sledding all night and showed up at school with sleds on the back of our trucks directly from the mountain. Funny stuff!
 

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my dad took me to mcbride when i was 6 in 2001. i was on a miniz with a crankshop perfomance kit on it.
 
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