We just arrived home from an action-packed weekend trip to Colorado. Rick Barker, Ryan Nelson, Geoff “Phatty” Dyer, and myself met up with Dave Napier, Matt Entz, and Michael McCullough to ride one of Dave’s top secret locations.
Dave appropriately named this location “Never never land.” The name was clearly inspired by the never-ending expanses of untracked canyons, river bottoms, and tree lines. On Saturday, we were welcomed by 18 inches of Colorado champagne powder and blue skies. We didn’t cross a single track until we started to head home at the end of the day. I have never seen such a large riding area with absolutely no other people. Everyone rode like savages all weekend, but many an untracked river bottom and canyon remained, calling out to us to burn the fuel we were saving for the ride back to the trucks. Fortunately, a few of us carried in extra gas.
Snowmobiling offers us an escape from everyday life, which is especially valuable in the current economic climate. There is something incredible about carving waist deep powder, flying off cliffs, or sidehilling across a 1000ft. mountain face that melts away the stress and worries of the real world with every turn and adrenaline-pumping second. In a world of GPS, internet, and online forums, however, it becomes increasingly difficult to find fresh tracks. Don’t get me wrong, we are ridiculously spoiled by the amount of fresh powder we ride, but there are always more people figuring out where the secret riding stashes are.
Like wild animals being driven out of their natural habitat by human encroachment, this year we’ve been exploring new areas and going ever further into the backcountry in the pursuit of powder. So it was nice to ride a new area and not see a another rider, just make sure you have your GPS and survival equipment, because no one is going to rescue you out here!
Photos by Dave Napier and Geoff Dyer
Tags: arctic cat, Boondockers, Boondockers 6, champagne powder, colorado, Dan Gardiner, dave napier, matt entz, mountains, phatty, powder, rick barker, ryan nelson, ski-doo, snowmobile, snowmobiling
February 24th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
To My TEAM!!!
Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to make this past weekend one I will never forget! The GAP is waiting boys, Matt and I will shave her and sweep her run-in until you arrive again. WE”RE OFF TO NEVER NEVER LAND!!!!!!
February 25th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Dave,
Thanks for the awesome weekend!! Excited to come back for the gap!!
February 26th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
hope to get back there again this year
what a place to experience
great photos that i’m sure dave didnt shoot
did dave let yu guys stay in that house he
rented this year!!!!!!!
nick
February 26th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
nick i need to start charging you rent!!! lol
when are you going to grow some and learn how to sidehill.
March 2nd, 2009 at 8:26 pm
as soon as i can afford a hcr,you dirty rat.don’t tell the world i can’t sideways hill. want to race?????
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:08 pm
You experts need to buy any expert set up sleds for your shoots???? Got some great fast HCR’S– CHEAP!!!!
March 6th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Neverland… it will bite you if your not careful! Scrub some speed!
Dave thanks for a fantastic weekend! I have been dreaming about the gap jump… I cant wait to hit it!!! I have March 13-March 22 off so name the day and I am there!!!
March 10th, 2009 at 6:40 am
Phatty I am watching the weather daily and Matt has been calling EVERY day…..might work this weekend. He is hoping that you guys cant make it so he can make the POACH it for himself.lol.
March 13th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
HAHAHAHA!!! Just tryin to get you fired up Dave. That poor lonely gap is just sitting there begging to be stomped. That and I didn’t shovel just for fun.