From the
MnUSA Vice President
Are Your Trails Ready to Ride? Tim Heinen
I am sure that you have been busy helping your club/clubs get the trails ready, as the big day is almost here. Of course, as with every startup of the season, there are many hiccups. I for one have had my share over the years, and to make it easier I have found it helps to keep an eye out all summer for any changes that I see. For example, I look for land ownership changes, land development, or changes in the roads, and I start investigating immediately and find a solution instead of waiting until the last minute. I also work hard at meeting with the landowners during the summer. I work part-time at Advanced Auto, and I found that 80% of my landowners are buying parts from my store, so it makes it easier to talk with them, but you still have a few changes at the last minute. It all works out in the end, and on December 2nd I’ll pour a tall one, maybe two, and relax. Storytime I used to own a ’74 El Tigre 340. I bought it from Chaska Marine. Anyone remember that dealer? Anyway, I had them go through and modify the clutch and change out the jetting in the carbs. Back then I wanted to beat the 440s, and I did after the modifications were done! Back to the story. Late one night or early morning (1 a.m.), I was riding back from Victoria towards Waconia. Now, I have driven this trail many times, knowing it like the back of my hand. Back then, trails weren’t marked very well, if at all, so I knew I had to accelerate when I came to this steep hill to get up, and I knew that the trail turned to the right. Well, when I was climbing up the hill at that fast speed, I could see in my headlights what I thought was bushes, so I knew I had to turn, but to my surprise when I turned the handlebars, the sled did not respond. I looked again up front, and the headlights started to come downward to show that it wasn’t bushes but a large tree! I looked down quickly and saw that I was not on the ground, I was airborne. There was no time to react, and I smacked into the tree at a high rate of speed. I flew over the handlebars and through the branches of the tree. When my body hit the ground and I was rolling to a stop, I caught a glimpse of my sled which was in the air coming right for me! It landed right on top of me…ouch! I passed out for a moment of time and was awoken by the amount of pain I was in. I tried to stand but I couldn’t. I thought I had broken my right leg. I looked at my sled and it was in pieces. I tried to crawl to the highway which was a short distance away
but there were no cars coming. So I crawled to the sled and managed to get it upright. I pulled myself onto the sled and after several pulls it started. I drove back home with my leg dragging. (Which was very painful!). I went to the hospital and found that I had dislocated my knee. I spent three days in the hospital. So, what is the point of all this? Don’t ride alone! With that said, I hope when you went out and marked your trails, and you followed the advice that Scott and I mentioned last month. If the markers are easy to find, there is less confusion and therefore people will stay on the trails and avoid trees. Will it stop the trespassing issue? No, but it will help. I ask people why they were off trail, and they would say they couldn’t find the markers. Speaking of trespassing, we want your slogan! Come up with a clever idea and submit it by January 15 to info@ snowmobilers.org. Who knows, you might win. Here’s one: “The Land Around the Trails is Protected by a Flesh-Eating Virus, So Don’t Go Off Trail!” I know it’s corny and too much. Let’s hope that Mr. Franzen can get the new fines to pass. At least that is a start in the right direction. Like most of you out there, and I have heard the stories, it gets frustrating when a small percentage of riders ruin it for all. We need to keep up with the education of trespassing, and the best time is in snowmobile safety training. We push that subject hard in the classes we teach. Now I need to get out there and finish marking my trail. Oh look, it’s snowing… Merry Christmas to all, and I wish you all a good riding season.
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December 2021
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