“You know how you felt the first time you saw the Grand Canyon? We feel that every time we snowmobile.” Someone on why he loves to snowmobile.
You know, I credited this to some other guy and he swears he didn’t say it. So let’s credit it to MARK MESENBRINK, I KNOW he said it!!
We just came off an awesome climbing trip to Castlegar, BC with Extreme Team rider Dan Davidoff as our guide. Our entire Washington Team showed up, meeting Trennis and I just over the border for an amazing day in the Selkirks. Shawn Hastings put away the most amazing climb of the day and perhaps of the year and guess what, he didn’t do it for the cameras. . . In fact, he didn’t even tell me he was going to do it! Amazing stuff, though! This day also saw a white out snow storm hit us in the afternoon, stranding us in the neverland bottom with no way out. Finally, as the fog cleared just enough to know whether we were pointed uphill, Davidoff led a charge over some steep chutes to get everyone out! What a fun day. Josh cold-seized his motor, let it tumble down the mountain, then he fired it up and finished off the day!
Did I mention Dan Davidoff is one CRAZY CANADIAN? Day 2 found us in another of Davidoff’s haunts, this time riding off a Lake west of Castlegar. Shawn climbed the tightest chute of the day but just at the top went vertical and almost came over backwards. Don Lenz tried next, only to get sucked into the steep rock wall lining the chute. Then the Crazy Canadian took the Yamaha up and over to top it out just as the sun started to set!
Day 3 found us all tired and a bit melancholy. A perfectly sunny day, it was the first time I’d ever seen sleds climb hills that were impossible to come back down. After hours on top of the world, they finally found a chute down the other side of the mountain that brought them back to reality. What a fun trip!
The riding season is quickly winding down as the warm weather is stealing snow by the foot every day. The editing room is heating up and soon the premiere of THUNDERSTRUCK III will be coming to a theater near you! Watch for cities and times and dates! It won’t be long!
April 20, 2004