Individually, Mike and I have both had memorable experiences riding in Upstate NY, so when the call came for an opportunity to visit the Adirondacks region once again, we jumped at the chance to go together.

Departing from our headquarters in Central/Northern Ontario, we were looking at about a six-hour drive to Lake Placid where our adventure would commence. For reference, Lake Placid, NY is about a three-hour drive from Canada’s capitol city of Ottawa and only two or three hours from New York State’s capitol of Albany as well as the Vermont state line.

Lake Placid, infamous for twice hosting the winter Olympics and USA Men’s improbable Olympic hockey Gold Medal in 1980, is a stunning and picturesque town set in the middle of the Adirondack mountains.

The finest place to stay there is the Crowne Plaza Hotel, situated atop the town’s signature vista overlooking the many quaint shops, restaurants and, of course, the Adirondack mountains with Mirror Lake in the background. Truly breathtaking!

For us though, the best part about staying at the Crowne Plaza was the abundance of parking for snowmobiles and trailers with immediate and easy access to the main snowmobile trails.

lakeplacidcp.com

For this trip, we hooked up with Sara-Placid Sled and Spoke in Saranac Lake and rented a pair of sweet Polaris Patriot 650 Switchback XC’s. Sled and Spoke has a fabulous fleet of new Polaris sleds to rent and it is located right on the Rail Trail in Saranac Lake, just a few miles from Lake Placid.

Our sleds were perfect for this adventure and we can’t thank Sled and Spoke enough for being so awesome to work with and helping us get on the trails quickly.

There are many advantages to renting sleds in NY and we definitely recommend looking into SledandSpoke.com

Off to the Races

The first morning, after a solid night’s rest and hearty breakfast at the Crown Plaza, we rode directly from the parking lot onto a short jack-rabbit trail linking to the wide-open Rail Trail (C7B) towards the town of Saranac Lake and eventually Tupper Lake. The Rail Trail from Lake Placid through Saranac Lake, with a fresh dumping of snow from the night before, got our blood pumping.

There’s plenty of places to stop for food along the Rail Trail, like RiverTrail Beerworks in Saranac Lake where we popped in for one of the best dining experiences on the trip. As you pass through Saranac Lake you’ll eventually come across a well-known snowmobilers’ meeting spot called Charlie’s Inn.

From here, you can head west to Malone, NY but this time we continued straight ahead towards Tupper Lake to fill up with fuel and turned around for another fun trek back to the Crowne Plaza in Lake Placid to warm up and walk just down the hill to town for dinner.

And Now for Something Completely Different

On our second day, we packed up the sleds in the trailer and took a 50-mile jaunt over to the infamous Adirondack Hotel in Long Lake where we would set up base and explore more technical riding around Newcomb and Indian Lake.

adirondackhotel.com

Riding directly from the parking lot of the Adirondack Hotel, we quickly hooked up to the C7B trail system and were lucky enough to be the first down the pipe after the groomer. Thank you, Indian Lake Snow Warriors! Needless to say, the pure peanut butter smooth trails were some of the best we’ve ever experienced all the way to Newcomb and Indian Lake. We’re not worthy!

Once we got to Indian Lake, we filled up the sleds and grabbed a quick bite across the street at Indian Lake Restaurant so we could get back to those incredible trails leading to Long Lake and some chill time at the Adirondack Hotel home base. The trails were just a sweet on the way home.

If you haven’t snowmobiled in the Adirondacks in Upstate New York, you’re really missing out. Take your significant other to Lake Placid for more relaxed riding and plush accommodations and go with your buddies for a more down-home, die-hard snowmobiling experience in Long Lake, Indian Lake and Newcomb. We enjoyed every second in both areas and we’re willing to bet you will too.

Visit AdirondacksUSA.com

In most cases when you buy your offroad vehicle with battery installed, the battery acid has been filled up and subjected to a short absorption period and then at a high amperage charge to get it to working voltage level.

Unfortunately, what they don’t tell you is that this process has already caused irreparable damage to some of the internal components of the battery, specifically affecting the battery’s ability to deliver maximum cranking amps.

This is the primary reason most battery manufacturers don’t offer lengthy replacement guarantees. With proper charge though, a lead-acid battery should last up to, and sometimes beyond, a decade.

BRS Batteries are built with highest quality components and each battery is custom prepped before delivery. How good are BRS batteries? So good that they stand by an unprecedented full 10-year warranty. By taking the time to properly and safely charge their batteries at low amperages before any of them are sent out. Seems simple, right?

Although this is a “Batteries for Dummies” explanation, the process BRS uses really works and that’s why we use BRS Batteries.

brsbattery.com

Its mission is to prevent rail crossing and trespassing incidents that result in needless loss of life and injuries. Each year, more than a hundred Canadians suffer serious injuries or die due to trespassing or taking chances at railway crossings.

Operation Lifesaver’s goal is to create safety-conscious attitudes toward railways, promote safe driving skills, and encourage Canadians to take railway signs and warnings seriously, which is not always the case amongst snowmobilers.

Operation Lifesaver Canada wants to remind you that we all have a part to play when it comes to preventing tragedies on railway tracks and property.

Let’s work together to make this winter a safe one by learning—and living by—these simple rules:

• Keep Off Railway Property and Equipment: Railway yards, tunnels, bridges and equipment are all private property. If you’re caught trespassing on them, you could be fined up to $50,000—or worse, you could lose a limb or your life.

• Obey All Railway Signs and Signals: Warning signals and signs are there for a reason, to help save lives. So, obey them!

• Never Go Around a Lowered Railway Crossing Gate: An activated gate means trains are coming.

• Never Try to Beat a Train: Trains are much faster than you think. They are also unable to stop quickly enough to save you.

• Only Use Designated Railway Crossings: Trying to cross tracks anywhere else could be deadly.

• Stay Off the Tracks: Never walk, cycle or drive on or along railway tracks—and never use them as a shortcut or a recreational path.

For snowmobilers, here are some other important tips to remember:

• Stop. Look. Listen. Whenever you approach a rail crossing on your snowmobile, be sure to come to a complete stop. Look both ways carefully and also listen for the sound of an oncoming train. Operation Lifesaver even recommends turning your sled off and removing your helmet to be extra sure. It may seem like a cumbersome routine, but your life and safety are worth the few extra seconds this takes.

• Take extra care at night and when it’s snowing. You don’t get a second chance with an oncoming train so when visibility is reduced, take extra precaution.

• Don’t ride alongside tracks. Trains can overhang the rail line significantly and can also kick up a lot of snow dust, reducing visibility.

• Remember; younger riders are watching and learning from your behaviour. Obey the rules and so will they.

Visit operationlifesaver.ca for more information.

When we say “surprising results” it’s only because we’ve heard the claims from companies, time and time again, how their products are the best, the most technologically advanced and how much we will fall in love with the products.

Frankly, it’s rare we come across a product that raises our eyebrows and makes us nod in agreement to these claims.

The CKX Mission helmet with AMS however, not only lived up to expectations, but left such an impression that Supertrax can honestly say it is the best full-faced snowmobile helmet we’ve ever worn.

It checks every box on the “want” list, from sexy design to overall comfort and quality. Its sporty look first attracted us but wearing the Mission lid sold us with its fantastic field of vision, lightweight feel and quietness.

Furthermore, tested in extremely cold riding conditions, the soft rubber breath deflector is super comfortable and does not make you feel suffocated. You can breathe normally without fear of frosting the face shield because the AMS – air management system actually works!

Honestly, there was some doubt prior to testing as some other full-faced helmet we’ve evaluated had faults and at least left an annoying little dot of frost on the shield by the end of a long, cold winter ride… until now.

The AMS system works by pushing air (including your breath) through the tunnels built along the edges of the helmet to a low-pressure area in the back. Kudos to the CKX engineers on this one. The Mission Helmet is a winner and if you’re a full-faced helmet rider, it’s time to give this lid some serious consideration.

Visit ckxgear.com for more info.

90-percent of ignition problems are caused by a faulty stator. No worries – honest. RM Stator makes it easy!

RMStator makes a replacement kit that includes a new stator and a new Coil/CDI box for the 2005-2009 Ski-Doo REV MX-ZX, 2003-2006 MX-Z, 2004-2011 GSX and GTX (Fits all 550F with Ducati ignition from 2004-2011).

This installation-ready kit is a plug & play bolt-on and can be installed right in your garage. No pullers needed – just bolt the parts on, plug in the connectors and you’re good to go!

You’ll get an upgrade in quality over stock, too: Better lamination materials, the highest grade of copper wiring – actually resistant up to 200-degrees Celsius!

Back plate is included as are all connectors. 2-year warranty (newly launched 2 year warranty).

Visit rmstator.comand receive FREE overnight delivery in Canada and 2 day guaranteed in the USA.

This may hold true for most urban and populated regions but there are still vast areas beyond the reach of cellular or traditional GSM communication networks.

This presents unique challenges for safety-conscious outdoor enthusiasts like snowmobilers, who want to stay in touch when their adventures take them to areas where even the smallest of emergencies can quickly turn into a major disaster if there is no way to communicate with family members, friends or emergency services.

SPOT X is a new stand-alone, portable and lightweight device featuring 2-way messaging capabilities, an onboard backlit keyboard, GPS location tracking, social media linking and direct communication with emergency services.

Shortly after it was introduced in May, 2018, the first SPOT X rescue was initiated in Alberta, Canada.

Darrel Comeau was on a four day trip to climb a remote mountain in Willmore Wilderness Park, located in Alberta, Canada. This is a 4,600 square kilometer (almost 2900 square miles) wilderness area adjacent to the world-famous Jasper National Park.

Around 4am, Darrel’s dog started whining. Darrel woke up and realized he wasn’t breathing. His airway was completely blocked. He reached for SPOT X clipped to his bag and pressed S.O.S.

Darrel told us: “The SPOT X is worth every penny. After pressing the S.O.S. button, it brought me comfort knowing someone was working to help me and allowed me to stay calm and focus on my breathing. That SPOT X is never leaving my bag or vehicle!’ said Darrel.

Visit globalstar.com

Each Quick Adjust flyweight has a threaded orifice on the back of the cam where you can add or subtract weight simply by changing the size of the threaded weight that screws into the orifice.

You don’t have to disassemble or remove the clutch, just unscrew the weights with an Allen wrench (provided) and add another heavier or lighter set.

This simple system allows you to alter clutch engagement and upshift in mere minutes and the best part is, it’s all very observable.

You can tell at a glance exactly which settings you’re using and make adjustments rapidly. Dalton also offers specialty primary and secondary springs and secondary clutch helixes.

Visit daltonindustries.com for more information.

Simply drive your snowmobile onto the ramp then pick up the back of the ramp and push the ramp into the back of the truck bed.

The ramp sits on 6-inch caster wheel rollers which allows you to easily slide the ramp forward whether the ramp is loaded or empty.

This is a high-grade aluminum ramp and is easily maneuverable thanks to its super-glide, super-pro2 sliders.

The DGRP Rollable Easy-Load Ramp is made to accommodate your ATV as well. The bolt-on, removable winch bracket will alleviate the stress some riders may have riding their sled or quad onto the ramp and into their truck.

The winch allows you to slowly and safely winch your ATV up to the top of the ramp without fear of rolling backwards or spinning the tires.

Visit DGRP.ca

FXR’s Helium Carbon bucket has a cool impact absorbing chin composite and dual density EPS safety core to further protect your melon.

Other features include adjustable peak, 3-point break-away screws and a wide range of sizing to fit different sized brains.

Also available in composite fibre alloy.

Visit fxrracing.com to check out FXR’s full line of helmets and snowmobile gear.

With nearly six feet of the white stuff already on the ground in areas around Buffalo and up to two feet more expected tomorrow, snowmobilers are frothing at the mouth while winter skeptics shake their heads in disbelief.

The frigid air blowing in over the warmer Lake Erie water has created the perfect recipe for localized lake effect snow and it has been relentless to say the least.

Check out this time lapse video here

Snowmobilers are also getting the chance to be local heroes and, not surprisingly, have jumped at the chance to help those in need.

Former New York State Snowmobile Association President, and now Supertrax Media Associate, Gary Broderick, has been on the front lines in Buffalo since the storm first started, assisting emergency crews throughout Tuesday night.

Gary emailed us yesterday saying, “I can’t tell you guys how proud I am of our sport right now! We have people from all over helping out. I’m even getting calls from people in Michigan that want to come help. I didn’t get home and in bed till about 5 o’clock this morning.”

With the second phase of this historic storm about to dump up to two more feet of snow on the Buffalo area Thursday and into Friday, emergency crews welcome assistance from anyone with a snowmobile.

Check out more video here