BRAAAP!

With snow falling, snowmobile season is upon us and approaching rapidly. 

Everybody does different activities during the winter, but one of the superior snow sport options is snowmobiling. 

Generally, snowmobiles are used for travel in rural areas, hunting throughout winter, or recreational use. 

Lakeland High School has many students and teachers that ride snowmobiles for various reasons. 

Makena Cleveland, a freshman at LHS, likes to ride in Cascade because there is lots of snow and plenty of good powder. She loves to ride because of the adrenaline; people that are into that kind of thing and are not afraid should try it. 

“I cannot imagine not riding in the future; I’ve done it since I was seven years old,” Cleveland said. 

Riders have specific places they like to and will frequently ride for recreational use. Well-managed, snowy trails that have been groomed with minimal fallen trees are ideal conditions.

Tim Gering, a science teacher at LHS, has been riding for a while but has become obsessed with it in the last 10 years. He will continue to snowmobile until he is physically unable. Gering loves it so much because of the winter landscape; the snow covers the trees, and the mountains glisten in the sun. 

 “Safety is super important. I personally know people that have been killed in avalanches. It is like everything else. Pay attention to what you are doing, and don’t push past your skill level,” Gering said. 

Avalanches are one of the main safety concerns when riding in the mountains, but they can usually be avoided. Technology that decreases the chance of injury and makes buried people easier to find during an avalanche has helped to ease the concern. 

With every sport comes a chance of getting hurt, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from trying it. 

I personally snowmobile very often when the snow falls and am rarely seen at school during the

winter months. I got my first personal snowmobile when I was 3-years-old, and since then, I

have been hooked. 

Currently, I race professional hill climbs from January to April across six states. For the different classes, I ride a 2021 850 Axyz, a 2021 850 Mod, and a 2022 650 Axyz; all Polaris because I think they are the best. 

Polaris, Skidoo, and Arctic Cat are the leading options for buying snowmobiles. The feuds can get intense between the brand riders. Gering and Cleveland both ride Skidoos, which I think can be changed once they ride Polaris and get their world rocked. 

Throughout my childhood, the snowmobiling lifestyle has played a significant part in shaping who I am today. I hope to ride as long as possible and someday give my kids the opportunity to follow in my footsteps.