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SNOWMOBILING 101

A Safe Experience Is an Amazing Experience!

At Uinta Recreation, your safety and an incredible experience are our top priority. In an effort to expedite your check out time and increase your knowledge and confidence in operating and performing basic snowmobile procedures we have created a series of instructional videos and information. When renting with us each person in the group is required to read this entire page and watch each video in its entirety. This should be done within 24 hours of arriving so the information is fresh.


Preparing for your Self Guided Rental

These videos will go over some of the basics to help you deal with the most common snowmobile related delays that our customers experience.  Although it is very uncommon to have to change a belt, doing so is pretty simple and the snowmobiles are equiped with the tool and a spare so if the need arises, you will have the knowledge and resource to change it out and get back to snowmobiling!  If getting a snowmobile unstuck looks like a lot of work, it is!  The best way to avoid getting a snowmobile stuck is to stay on the trail.  However, if you choose to vear off trail, keep a couple things in mind.  1.  Choose an area that is relatively flat and open, or appropriate for your skill level.  A downward slope will always pull you farther and farther downhill.  2. avoid heavily wooded areas and trees.  These areas can affect your ability to keep momentum and you risk hitting a tree.  3.  Be prepared to get your snowmobile unstuck!  It is a part of off trail snowmobiling and the basic skills are shown in the videos.  If you do get stuck and need assistance, then we can send help.  Just keep in mind, it takes some time to get to you and our hourly labor rate applies. 


Changing a Belt


Getting a Snowmobile Unstuck

When you are out snowmobiling, “stuck happens”! By staying on trail you can avoid it, but for those who want to venture out into the powder, pay attention. Even if you have no plans on getting off trail, it is required to know how to get unstuck in the event you inadvertently get off trail and stuck.

Safety & Good Decision-Making

The single most important thing you can take with you snowmobiling is your brain. When it comes to snowmobiling, most accidents and damages we see can be avoided by simply making good decisions while on the mountain. It is incredibly important to always be thinking about what the consequences of your decisions are. Ask yourself, what are the consequences of me getting off trail, or heading down this canyon, or riding in this low visibility. Always remember that snow conditions and trail conditions may change as elevation, temperature, snow pack and weather change. This means the way your snowmobile reacts, corners and brakes will change with these conditions. Always keep your speed in check. All of our snowmobiles are capable of very high speeds. Keep in mind that all trails are open to two way traffic, meaning that at any time there could be another rider coming around the corner towards you. Ride at a speed in which you have perfect control of your snowmobile and can react in time if somebody is coming too fast around the corner towards you and in your lane. The speed limit on the trail is 25 MPH and depending on terrain, conditions and other factors, 25 MPH may be excessive.  Always stay on the right side of the trail and if your group stops for a break do not stop on or close to a blind corner and always park snowmobiles single file rather than blocking the entire trail. Always remember that these are public trails you are riding on and that you can encounter another rider at any time. If you are unfamiliar with the area you are riding, you should never leave eye sight of the trail. There are plenty of meadows and open areas adjacent to the trail that you can ride without getting out of eye sight of the trail. The main purpose for this is if you get stuck, or have an accident, or have a breakdown (not common due to the fact that we buy new machines each year) then you are easy to find or flag down help. Even if you are only a few hundred yards from the trail, if you are not within eyesight nobody will see you and nobody can help or find you. Stay within eyesight of the trail. Most accidents we see do not happen at the beginning of the day. Most of them happen towards the end of the day. There are a couple of reasons for this. 1st, at the beginning of the day most people are still learning the machine and quite cautious. As the day progresses and they get more comfortable with the machine their confidence grows as does their speed. Usually for beginners their confidence level exceeds their skill level rather quickly, so keep it real, you’re not as good as you think you are (hahaha). 2nd, you are tired. You’ve been handling a 500 lb machine for the last 3-6 hours and dug it out a time or two. Sometimes “getting your monies worth” will result in just that in the form of damages $$$. Know when to say when and call it a day when you are getting tired or exhausted.

Avalanche Terrain

In the Utah Mountains in and around Heber City and Park City, there is always a risk of avalanches. Although the snowmobile trail systems will take you up and into avalanche type terrain, you can avoid putting yourself in danger by following a few simple points. 1st, staying on the trail will almost entirely (there are always spots of trail that run underneath some avalanche prone slopes) eliminate being exposed to avalanche terrain. The trail systems will wind in and out of avalanche terrain but still occassionally cross under avalanche prone slopes. 2nd, stay off or out from under any slopes 30 degrees or steeper, if the trail crosses or runs under a slope 30 degrees or steeper, then cross one at a time to limit exposure. Off-trail riding is a ton of fun, but risking your life or the lives of your friends is simply not worth the risk. For this reason alone we ask that you do not “hill climb” on Uinta Recreation snowmobiles. Additionally if you do not have avalanche training, beacons, shovels and probes and know how to use them, then you have no business climbing avalanche prone hills (30 degrees and steeper). There is plenty of low angle terrain with natural and fun terrain features to ride without putting yourself or someone you love at risk. We cannot emphasize this enough, stay off and out from under slopes 30 degrees and steeper. To check the current avalanche forecast, go here. Due to the fact that avalanches are never 100% predictable, it is still recommended by Uinta Recreation to stay off from avalanche prone slopes even when the forecast conditions are low to moderate.