Snowmobile EXPO 2014

EXPOEXPOSNOWMOBILE

WEEKENDEvents Schedule

FREESTYLESnowmobile Shows

VINTAGEShow and Racing

What’s New?! EXPO 2014

W e s t Y e l l o W s t o n e

NEWSS P E C I A L E V E N T S U P P L E M E N T

2 ▲ SNOWMOBILE EXPO 2014 Friday, March 7, 2014

EXPO 2014

table of contents

3 ................ Schedule of weekend events

5 ................ Shuttle schedule and spectator tips

6 ................ What’s new at EXPO 2014

8 ................ Vintage racing’s comeback

11 .............. Avalanche beacon park

12 .............. Snowmobiling West Yellowstone

14 .............. Wilderness snowshoe hike

MIKE MOORE/WYNEWS

SNOWMOBILE EXPO 2014 ▲ 3Friday, March 7, 2014

Thursday, March 13

EXPO INFO Desk & Ticket Will Call

MWR SnoCross Check-in & Registration

WSVSA Vintage Oval check-in and race registration at Holiday Inn Convention Center

8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Friday, March 14

Cross Country SnoCross Race at SnoCross Track

2015 Polaris Demo Rides at Traveler’s Snowmobile Rentals

MWR Radar Runs at Drag track

Sneek Peek – KLIM atTraveler’s Snowmobile Rentals

Snowbike PRO- Qualify at SnoCross Track

Expo Exhibits Open

MWR 120 4-Stroke Speed Limited at SnoCross Track

SnoWest SnoCross Qualify: Jr, Sport, Pro Lite, JR at SnoCross Track

WSVSA Vintage Hot Laps at racetrack

M120 Western Grand Championships Snowmobile Racing at SnoCross Track

SnoCross Racing – Junior & Transition Classes at SnoCross Track

Snowbike PRO – Final at SnoCross Track

SnoWest SnoCross FINAL; Jr, Sport, Pro Lite, JR at SnoCross Track

WSVSA Vintage Snowmobile qualifying racing at racetrack

OA Freestyle Practice at Race Track

Casino Night at Holiday Inn

Booze Hounds (Live Band) at Wild West Pizzeria & Saloon

Calcutta for vintage racers at Holiday Inn

8 a.m. - 10 a.m.

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

10:15 a.m. - 7 p.m.

10:15 a.m. - 11 a.m.

10:15 a.m. - 11 a.m.

10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

1 - 5 p.m.

4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

9 p.m. - 11:45 p.m.

9:30 - 11:30 p.m.

EXPO 2014

schedule of events

EXPO SCHEDULE | continued on page 4


Food RoundupS u p e R m a R k e t

Roundup tRading poStY o u R C o u n t R Y V a R i e t Y S t o R e

We feature the finest in meats, produce,

wines & specialty items.

We are located at the corner of Madison and Dunraven

across from the Stagecoach Inn. Plenty off street parking.

Drop in and see us!

Clothing • ShoeS • CD’S

houSewareS • linenS

ViDeoS • Pet SuPPlieS

CamPing & SPorting gooDS

giftS & more

We are located one half block from the Food Roundup.

Drop in and see us!

107 Dunraven - West Yellowstone

406.646.7501127 Dunraven - West Yellowstone

406.646.7551

Come check out our

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End of Season

ClotHiNG SalE!

Saturday, March 15

WSVSA Vintage Snowmobile Show at racetrack

2015 Polaris Demo Rides at Traveler’s Snowmobile Rentals

MWR Radar Runs at Drag track

Sneek Peek – KLIM at Traveler’s Snowmobile Rentals

Free M120 Snowmobiles Rides for Kids (3-12 yrs) at South of the Snocross Track

M120 Western Grand Championships Qualify at SnoCross Track

SnoCross Racing FINALS – Junior & Transition Classes at SnoCross Track

Vintage hot laps at racetrack

M120 Western Grand Championships FINALS @ SnoCross Track

SWOOP Productions freestyle show on Canyon Street - FREE

WSVSA Vintage Snowmobile Oval Racing Finals at racetrack

Doors open for Freestyle Show at SnoCross Track

Octane Addictions Freestyle Show at SnoCross Track

Dirty Shame (Live Band) at Holiday Inn

Kennedy & The Assassins (Live Band) at Wild West Pizzeria & Saloon

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

11 - 11:30 a.m.

3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

4 p.m.

3 - 6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

9 p.m. - 1 a.m.

9 p.m. - 11:45 p.m.

EXPO 2014

schedule of events

Sunday, March 16EXPO Exhibit Hours at Holiday Inn Convention Center9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

MIKE MOORE/WYNEWS


For those new to the EXPO, race events and demonstra-tions are held at the old airport at the western edge of West Yellowstone off Iris Street. Every year, hundreds of volun-teers work together to build the venues, erect snow fenc-ing, and set up each area. The grandstands are all built from snow, 25 feet high and tiered.

Dress warmly for the outside events, including warm, water-proof boots. Dressing in layers is highly recommended. Layers can be removed for sunny, warm afternoons or added to stay warm in early mornings and evenings. If it is sunny, make sure to bring sunscreen and sunglasses.

You can bring an outdoor chair or blanket to sit on in the grandstands while watching the races. Food, hot drinks, a beer garden, and outdoor toilets will

be available in the track area, along with outdoor restrooms.

The exhibition area display-ing new snowmobiles and after-market parts is at the Holiday Inn on Yellowstone Avenue. There is a large, heated exhibition tent along with inside displays. The Holiday Inn is also the location for nightly events (free admis-sion) including Friday night’s casino night and Calcutta.

Parking is available through-out the venue and throughout West Yellowstone. Shuttles offer pick-ups and drop-offs from major hotels and down-town locations. Shuttles will also circle by the Swap Meet and downtown Swoop location on Saturday.

For information on lodging, call (406) 646-7701 or visit www.destinationyellowstone.com.

What to know ...before you go


EXPO:2014

the scoopMIKE MOORE/WYNEWS

For 24 years, the World Snowmobile Expo

has drawn thousands of snowmobiling fans and riders of all levels to West Yellowstone for three days of sledding madness, from free demo rides on next year’s machines to free-style shows by world-class performers.

According to Marge Wanner, West Yellowstone Chamber snowmobile events coordinator, “It’s the best end-of-season power sports weekend in the West.”

Arctic Cat, Polaris, Skidoo

and Yamaha will unveil their 2015 snowmobile lines, along with hundreds of new after-market exhibits and retail products at Expo head-quarters at the Holiday Inn on Yellowstone Avenue.

Snocross

Joining the lineup of races at this year’s Expo is a 7-mile cross-country snocross event slated for 8 a.m. Saturday morning. The course will be rough with only two slight straightaways, and the rest will be in the woods. Each

class will run for one hour, and the person to complete the most laps the quickest will be declared the winner.

Cross-country races start at the snocross track.

Returning this year are the 120 Western Grand Championships — racing just for kids. This is a special event for all youngsters to compete in five different classes: Kitty Kat, 120 speed limited, 120 Stock, 120 Champ, and Outlaw. Kids from 4 to 12 years old have a chance to try out racing or gain racing experience (open

class). Mountain West Racing

hosts “SnoCross for the youth” with Junior 10-13, Transition 300, and Transition 500 classes on a modified SnoCross track with hills and jumps bound to create “spills and thrills.”

Radar Run

The Radar Run competi-tion is a snowmobile speed run verifying your top speed by a Radar Gun. The Radar Run competition is held on a straight-line 500-foot

packed snow track, with a 600-foot shut down exten-sion. Entries run one at a time. All snowmobiles and riders of all classes, eras, and experience, are eligible and welcome. Each class winner will be determined by the fastest speed. Two runs cost $10. The highest speed of two runs will be considered your entry. If someone beats your speed you can pay to play again and try your luck at a faster speed.

No pre-registration. To enter, each Radar Run entry must personally drive

World Snowmobile Expo goes bigger, faster, better in 24th year


Welcome Snowmobilers, Racers & Exhibitors

All of West Yellowstone would like to thank-you for coming to our 2014 Snowmobile Expo and Races. We appreciate your loyalty and time to make this event a huge success. If there is anything we can do at Westmart Building Center to make your visit more

enjoyable and successful, just stop by and see us.-The crew at Westmart

100 Faithful Ave., West YellowstoneHours: M-F 7:30-5:00 Sat. 8:00-3:00 Closed Sun.

406-646-9578

Times have changed, so have we!

their snowmobile to the Radar Run Staging Entrance. Pay your entry fee, and a technical official will verify your class. You will be given a two-part form. One will be given to the starting line official. Make your run, and the radar gun official will call your top speed to the starting line official to record. Your second chance can be run at any time that day. Speeds will be tracked through-out the event and the fastest time in each class will be the winner.

Radar Runs are held at the north end of the Snowmobile EXPO race-track located on Iris Street. Racers may park in the designated racer parking area or wherever you choose. Spectators are also welcome to watch all events from viewing areas, entering thru the spectator admission entrance. No spectators are allowed in or on staging area.

Vintage Racing

Vintage will be even bigger in 2014 with the Western States

Vintage Snowmobile Association hosting the 11th annual Vintage Snowmobile Club Association National Vintage Snowmobile Show at the 2014 World Snowmobile Expo in West Yellowstone. It’s one of the largest gatherings of vintage and antique snowmobiles in the West with U.S. and Canadian participants

from all over the “snow belt.” The VSCA National Vintage

Snowmobile Championship Show will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. This show is hosted by the Western States Vintage Snowmobile Association, is located at the EXPO Race Track on Iris Street. Participants can register

on the day of the show as well. The featured year for this year’s show is 1978.

Duane Eck’s 1970 Ski Doo Double Eagle will be on display at the Vintage National Show. Eck, of Driggs, Idaho, was a factory racer and spent years in West Yellowstone in the early ’70s racing the Double Eagle across the Old Airport in the “Speed Wars,” and Snowmobile Roundup oval races. He set the 1970 world speed record at West Yellowstone. The Double Eagle is now owned by Brad Warning. Eck will be in attendance as a special guest.

In 2013, EXPO premiered vintage racing as an exhibition event. This year, it returns with expanded classes and a specially designed race course. WSVSA Vintage Snowmobile Oval Races start on Friday at noon, with finals starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Classes will include stock and mod single cylinder, 340 and 440 fan-cooled, and 340 and 440

EXPO SCOOP | continued on page 10


point:the

EXPO takes fans back in time with more races and the largest

vintage show in the country

Last year, vintage racing stole the show at the snowmobile expo. It was a

momentous occasion, as vintage oval track racing took center stage for the first time since the World Series of oval racing was held in West Yellowstone 35 years earlier.

Oval track snowmobile racing has a rich history in West Yellowstone. In the 1960s and ’70s, upward of 40 to 50 snowmobile manufacturers had factory teams that would come to town for oval track racing and speed runs. These events brought between 10 and 12,000 people to town annually.

In 1969, speeds runs had grown into a big deal at the annual snowmobile gathering, with many manufacturers showing up with purpose-built sleds they believed would produce the fastest sleds. It was during that year’s event that a 1969 Ski-Doo Double Eagle ridden by Idaho native Duane Eck set the speed record of 95.33 MPH. The Double Eagle is currently in the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, Wisc., but will be on display in West Yellowstone throughout Expo weekend 2014. Eck will be reunited with the famous sled, while also being the featured guest.

Despite a short schedule of races during last year’s World Snowmobile Expo, the event was a shining success and returns bigger and better this year with more racing action planned over a two-day span.

“Vintage had a big draw last year and that was just an exhibition,” Chamber of Commerce Snowmobile Events Coordinator

Marge Wanner said. “It wasn’t a competitive race in 2013, but this year it will be.”

Event sponsor Western States Vintage Snowmobile Association will be hosting the Vintage Snowmobile Club of America’s National Vintage Snowmobile Championship Show this year at Expo.

“There’s going to be a lot more racing this year,” WSVSA vice president Jim Smith said. “Last year we were done in 45 minutes; this year we’re making a whole weekend out of it.”

This year will feature the addition of more racing classes, including a stock women’s class, junior’s stock single cylinder class and a master class, a mod single cylinder, 340 and 440 fan-cooled, along with 340 and 440 free air. With the addition of more classes, vintage fans will have plenty to keep them entertained.

“We had 22 entries last year… we have upwards of 100 this year,” Smith said. “Last year it was a really big hit, so I would imagine it will be very popular this year.”

Wanner agrees, stating that they expect a crowd equal, if not larger, than what they saw last year, where 5,800 attendees purchased tickets to view Expo events.

“The vintage interest indicates that it’s going to be a huge draw,” she said.

Due to the increase in entries, the track will be a specially designed oval track course that will be wider this year to accommodate more sleds.

Vintage snowmobiles will range from sleds

vintage

MIKE MOORE/WYNEWS

manufactured in 1985 and older. Vintage fans can relive past memories, while also introducing the unique sleds and oval track racing to a new generation.

“Many of them have never witnessed the older stuff,” Smith said. “If you compare today’s sleds to the older stuff, there is quite a contrast. Many folks have never seen anything like this before.”

Races will be held both Friday and Saturday, with a good mix of vintage oval and modern snowcross races both days.

Also returning this year are the vintage “hot” laps, where vintage sled racers will ride a few laps around the course with their sleds creatively decorated with a wide variety of items. The hot laps event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday.

“This is probably going to be the biggest vintage event west of the Mississippi, ever,” Smith said. “We’re expecting close to 200 sleds in the vintage show and 100 entries for the races.”

By MIKE MOOREWest Yellowstone News

“This is probably going to be

the biggest vintage event west of the Mississippi, ever.

WESTERN STATES VINTAGE SNOWMOBILE ASSOCIATIONJIM SMITH, VICE PRESIDENT

MIKE MOORE/WYNEWS

TOP LEFT: Tony Cook pushes his 1979 Polaris TX to the limit as he races in the 440 Free Air race held at the World Snowmobile Expo last year.

LEFT: Vintage snowmobile racers round a corner on the oval track during the vintage snowmobile races at the World Snowmobile Expo last year.

schedule of eventsThursday, March 13


6 p.m.

Friday, March 14WSVSA Vintage Hot Laps at racetrack



10:30 - 11 a.m.

1 - 5 p.m.

9:30 - 11:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 15




9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

11 - 11:30 a.m.

3 - 6 p.m.

MIKE MOORE/WYNEWS

LEFT: Crowds hover around a long line of vintage snowmobiles during the 10th annual Western States Vintage Snowmobile Association West Yellowstone Round-up.


point:the

EXPO takes fans back in time with more races and the largest

vintage show in the country

Last year, vintage racing stole the show at the snowmobile expo. It was a

momentous occasion, as vintage oval track racing took center stage for the first time since the World Series of oval racing was held in West Yellowstone 35 years earlier.

Oval track snowmobile racing has a rich history in West Yellowstone. In the 1960s and ’70s, upward of 40 to 50 snowmobile manufacturers had factory teams that would come to town for oval track racing and speed runs. These events brought between 10 and 12,000 people to town annually.

In 1969, speeds runs had grown into a big deal at the annual snowmobile gathering, with many manufacturers showing up with purpose-built sleds they believed would produce the fastest sleds. It was during that year’s event that a 1969 Ski-Doo Double Eagle ridden by Idaho native Duane Eck set the speed record of 95.33 MPH. The Double Eagle is currently in the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, Wisc., but will be on display in West Yellowstone throughout Expo weekend 2014. Eck will be reunited with the famous sled, while also being the featured guest.

Despite a short schedule of races during last year’s World Snowmobile Expo, the event was a shining success and returns bigger and better this year with more racing action planned over a two-day span.

“Vintage had a big draw last year and that was just an exhibition,” Chamber of Commerce Snowmobile Events Coordinator

Marge Wanner said. “It wasn’t a competitive race in 2013, but this year it will be.”

Event sponsor Western States Vintage Snowmobile Association will be hosting the Vintage Snowmobile Club of America’s National Vintage Snowmobile Championship Show this year at Expo.

“There’s going to be a lot more racing this year,” WSVSA vice president Jim Smith said. “Last year we were done in 45 minutes; this year we’re making a whole weekend out of it.”

This year will feature the addition of more racing classes, including a stock women’s class, junior’s stock single cylinder class and a master class, a mod single cylinder, 340 and 440 fan-cooled, along with 340 and 440 free air. With the addition of more classes, vintage fans will have plenty to keep them entertained.

“We had 22 entries last year… we have upwards of 100 this year,” Smith said. “Last year it was a really big hit, so I would imagine it will be very popular this year.”

Wanner agrees, stating that they expect a crowd equal, if not larger, than what they saw last year, where 5,800 attendees purchased tickets to view Expo events.

“The vintage interest indicates that it’s going to be a huge draw,” she said.

Due to the increase in entries, the track will be a specially designed oval track course that will be wider this year to accommodate more sleds.

Vintage snowmobiles will range from sleds

vintage

MIKE MOORE/WYNEWS

manufactured in 1985 and older. Vintage fans can relive past memories, while also introducing the unique sleds and oval track racing to a new generation.

“Many of them have never witnessed the older stuff,” Smith said. “If you compare today’s sleds to the older stuff, there is quite a contrast. Many folks have never seen anything like this before.”

Races will be held both Friday and Saturday, with a good mix of vintage oval and modern snowcross races both days.

Also returning this year are the vintage “hot” laps, where vintage sled racers will ride a few laps around the course with their sleds creatively decorated with a wide variety of items. The hot laps event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday.

“This is probably going to be the biggest vintage event west of the Mississippi, ever,” Smith said. “We’re expecting close to 200 sleds in the vintage show and 100 entries for the races.”

By MIKE MOOREWest Yellowstone News

“This is probably going to be

the biggest vintage event west of the Mississippi, ever.

WESTERN STATES VINTAGE SNOWMOBILE ASSOCIATIONJIM SMITH, VICE PRESIDENT

MIKE MOORE/WYNEWS

TOP LEFT: Tony Cook pushes his 1979 Polaris TX to the limit as he races in the 440 Free Air race held at the World Snowmobile Expo last year.

LEFT: Vintage snowmobile racers round a corner on the oval track during the vintage snowmobile races at the World Snowmobile Expo last year.

schedule of eventsThursday, March 13


6 p.m.

Friday, March 14WSVSA Vintage Hot Laps at racetrack



10:30 - 11 a.m.

1 - 5 p.m.

9:30 - 11:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 15




9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

11 - 11:30 a.m.

3 - 6 p.m.

MIKE MOORE/WYNEWS

LEFT: Crowds hover around a long line of vintage snowmobiles during the 10th annual Western States Vintage Snowmobile Association West Yellowstone Round-up.


free air. Races are limited to snowmobiles year 1980 and older.

Freestyle Shows

SWOOP Productions is back this year for a Saturday afternoon exhibition of thrilling and inspiring sport-bike freestyle shows for bike fanatics of all ages. The show starts at 4 p.m. on Canyon Street in downtown West Yellowstone. There is no charge, just some great stunts, burnouts, tires blow-ing up, crazy circle wheelies, insane stoppies, acrobatics, and more. There will be an autograph sessions after the show; just go to the SWOOP trailer.

One of EXPO’s favorite thrills is the Saturday free-

style competitions under the lights. Billings-based Octane Addictions is step-ping it up by offering one of the biggest snowmobile freestyle competitions of the year. West Yellowstone was the birthplace of snowmo-bile freestyle competitions and it all comes home again in 2014 with more freestyle chills and thrills including

those incredible double side-by-side backflips.

This year’s performers will include Winter X-Games freestyle competitor Sam Rogers, Willy Elam, Travis Cady, and Canadian freestyle legend Reagan Seig, who will attempt a Timbersled ramp-to-snow landing for the first time ever. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. at

the Expo racetrack, with the show starting around 7 p.m.

Entertainment

Nightly entertainment includes casino night on Friday night at the Holiday Inn from 6:30 to 9 p.m. You can purchase plenty of “funny” money for just $20 and spend your night chal-lenging the dealers. There’s a raffle at the end where you can use your money to bid on a wide range of snowmobile and travel items. Following casino night will be the vintage Calcutta, where everyone will have a chance to bid on their favorite drivers to win the vintage oval snowmobile races the following day. Bids are combined into one cash pool and the top placing drivers will bring cash to the lucky bidders.

Live music will also be featured at the Wild West Pizzeria and Saloon and the Holiday Inn Branch Restaurant both Friday and Saturday nights.

Tickets

A single day admission (Friday and Saturday) is $15 for both the exhibition hall and the track. Admission to Saturday evening’s Octane Addictions freestyle show is $15, while Sunday admis-sion to the exhibition hall is just $5. Tickets are available at the racetrack or Holiday Inn.

The SWOOP street motor-cycle demo on Saturday at 4 p.m. is free. Kids, 12 and under, are free.

Free shuttles throughout the weekend are available to all venues. (See schedule and map on page 5).

expo scoopfrom page 7


When it comes to recreating in the

backcountry during the winter months, owning avalanche survival equip-ment doesn’t cut it; you need to know how to use it, and fast. According to education coordinator Jay Pape, with the Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center in Bozeman, know-ing how to use essential avalanche survival equipment such is critical.

“If you’re buried and your partner finds you within 10 minutes, you have an 80-percent chance of surviv-ing,” Pape said. “If you go another two minutes, you decrease your odds (of survival) by 50 percent.”

With chances of survival decreasing with every pass-ing second following an avalanche, backcountry enthusiasts must be familiar with their rescue equipment, and physically fit enough to dig through feet of snow to rescue their partner within minutes.

“It takes a long time to dig

a big hole,” he said. “Finding your partner with a beacon (quickly) can save more time for digging.”

With so many daily visi-tors and locals heading into the winter wonderland that surrounds West Yellowstone, Pape says everyone who ventures into avalanche areas need to know how to use

their equipment.“If only one person knows

how to use it and they’re buried, nobody knows how to save them,” he said.

Seeing the need to educate backcountry winter enthusiasts, the Friends of the Avalanche Center and the Gallatin National Forest installed an avalanche beacon training park at the old airport on the western edge of town. Centered around a control box, the park has four buried beacons that users can switch on and search for using their probe. The concept seems simple, but Pape says learning the proper way to locate a beacon is crit-ical tool to learn, and practic-ing will help with response times in a real situation.

“The more you practice, the better you will be at it,”

he said. “To be effective with it, you have to practice a lot. The only way to be good at it is to practice. It gets people familiar with beacons.”

Essential avalanche rescue equipment includes a shovel, beacon and probe. These three items work together to make rescue possible. Without one of these items, a rescue cannot be performed, Pape says.

The beacon park is free to use, and depending on snow levels, will remain at the old airport location until late March or April. The park is made available in cooperation with the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce, Yellowstone Vacations, Harrington Pepsi, Back Country Access, Citizens for Balanced Use and Ace Powder Guides.

Beacon park offers avalanche practice for sleddersBy MIKE MOORE

West Yellowstone News


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Welcome to heaven: 400 miles of groomed snowmobile trails

and backcountry powder access around West Yellowstone in the Gallatin, Beaverhead and Targhee Forests and Island Park, Idaho.

Whether you go up Two Top Mountain, one of the most popular rides in the area, to wonder at the “snow ghosts” and endless views into two states, or take a tour on the Madison Arm Loop by Hebgen Lake, or hit the deep backcountry, snowmobil-ing in West Yellowstone is a sledder’s dream.

Local businesses provide tours and guides for trips into Yellowstone National Park, national forests or the backcountry), snowmobile rentals, clothing and accessories, plus instruc-tion for anyone new to snowmobiling. From Dec. 15 through March 15, daily snowmobile and snowcoach tours travel into Yellowstone, offering the option to visit the Old Faithful or Grand Canyon areas. Authorized expert guides accom-pany each tour (10 sleds maximum) with stops for wildlife watching and lunch.

Saturday, March 15, is the last day for Yellowstone’s 2013-14 winter season, so be sure to reserve your trip now.

If you plan on heading into the back-

country, take avalanche rescue equip-ment; know how to use it; and check the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center’s daily report at www.mtava-lanche.com. Remember, the speed limit on all groomed trails is 45 miles per hour.

Ride safe, and enjoy your stay in the Snowmobile Capitol of the World.

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Riding the West’s best trails


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Forecast:more snow.Whoopee!

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Bozeman, MT 59718Bus: 406-624-0099

[email protected]

Kids, parents and everyone in between: want to stretch

your legs, blow off some steam or just soak in the beauty of winter? Join a guided snowshoe walk — a great way to explore the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

A 50th anniversary Wilderness Act celebration snowshoe walk will be held at Sage Creek Trail Head, Saturday, March 15, at 9:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome.

Come for a winter snowshoe or touring ski outing with USFS Wilderness Manager Todd Stiles on the Gallatin National Forest to learn more about our local Lee Metcalf Wilderness and the 1964 Wilderness Act.

Meet at Sage Creek Trail Head off U.S. Highway 191 (34 miles north of West Yellowstone/ 12 miles south of Big Sky). The parking area is on the west side of 191 about 1/4 mile south of Taylor Fork Road #134. We will depart from there, heading up

Snowshoe hikes offer outdoor fun, education for all ages

MIKE MOORE/WYNEWS

Sage Creek Trail #11 toward the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Monument Mountain Unit Boundary. Upon cresting the hill, we will get nice views of Sage Peak. The terrain is pretty easy going for a wide vari-ety of folks in a pleasant canyon bottom. Depending on group size

and interest, we may climb up Slide Creek Trail 71 up to the Taylor Fork Blow Out to get great views of Skyline Ridge, Monument Mountain and mountain ranges beyond. We will go as far as our time, and people’s ambition and energy allows.

Items needed: snowshoes or touring skis. (The Forest Service has a limited number of snowshoes for those that do not have them, please RSVP if you are counting on snow-shoes being provided.) Adequate clothing layers (non-cotton) for spending the day outside, water, lunch, and any other creature comforts needed for the afternoon. We will return to the trailhead around 3:30 pm.

If possible, please RSVP to Todd Stiles at the Hebgen Lake Ranger District by Thursday, March 13, if you plan to attend. Todd may be reached at (406) 823-6961 or [email protected]

Local ski/snowshoe rental shops:

Bud Lily’s: 406-646-7801Alpen Guides: 406-646-9591Free Heel and Wheel: 406-646-

7744Snowshoes only: Backcountry

Adventures: 406-646-9317


406-586-9141 • 21 Forkhorn Drive(4-Corners. Old Yellowstone Gateway Sports location.)#1 Manufacturer of off road vehicles in the world


Documents

Snowmobile EXPO 2014