able to enjoy many different variet-
ies of riding, from breaking trail in
deep powder after a 40cm snowfall to
high-speed cruising on well packed
and freshly groomed trails to back
country off-trail riding in Wawa, the
boondocking capital of Ontario.
I have covered approximately 5,300
kilometres on my snowmobile thus
far this season. My target is 10,000.
My planned upcoming adventure
from eastern Quebec out to Labrador
will get me closer to that goal, and it
will also qualify as the most remote
sledding that I have ever done, which
brings us to an important point. Just
like when we take off on multi-day
motorcycle adventures, when plan-
ning a snowmobile trip it is import-
ant to plan carefully:
1. Did you pack enough water to
stay hydrated on the trails?
You might not think this is import-
ant in the cold of winter, especially
when you are literally adventuring
on frozen water molecules (snow),
however it is not necessarily a great
idea to just eat mouthfuls of the stuff
when you are thirsty. Snowmobiling
can be a lot of work, especially if you
or a buddy gets their machine stuck
in some deep snow, and you will like-
ly find yourself sweating a lot more
TRAVERSE 104
than you ever thought you would in
-20c temperatures. Snow needs to
be melted in your mouth before it
becomes thirst satisfying water and
that takes energy. This can actually
lead to further dehydration as well as
hypothermia, and can also potentially
make you sick if there happens to be
any bacteria in the snow. In a pinch,
yes, you should definitely melt some
snow to liquid water and consume
it if you feel that you are becoming
dehydrated.
2. What about energy bars/
snacks? Did you pack a snack to
provide energy and stamina between