Leaving Snowtracks
June 11, 2008 by Dylan Kitzan · Leave a Comment
While the area is gearing up for the first snowfall of the season, sledders, skiers and, of course, snowboarders are eagerly anticipating the beginning to yet another season on the hills and slopes of the Spokane area.
However, another group of winter sports enthusiasts are just as ready for the flakes to start dropping from the sky: snowmobilers.
An avid snowmobiler in the area, Peter Swanson is ready for the white stuff to start falling in the weeks to come… just like it has since he was young and has continued to do as he has gotten older.
“I had [a snowmobile] when I was a kid and it was something to do in the wintertime,” Swanson said. “Through high school, I raced around, went in the Army, came back home and knew a guy who lived in Deer Park and he took us out one weekend.”
Virtually every weekend during the winter months, Swanson and friends make an excursion, sometimes two, around the area to local spots for snowmobiling. Sometimes, the group will stay closer to home, perhaps by going to the Priest Lake or Chewelah areas. Other times, though, they will head farther north, possibly over the border to places in Canada, which is a few hours driving.
The group can consist of as little as four people, with Swanson, a friend and their wives heading out, or as many as 10 or 12 people, depending on who wants to go where and what kinds of rides the group plans on doing during a certain trip.
They usually head out early in the morning, roughly around 8 or 9 a.m. and, if their adventure is not an overnight trip, return about 6 or 7 p.m.
Swanson said the love for snowmobiling for his group comes in hill climbing, but there are other aspects as well that always make for exciting times.
“You can go fast, there’s no speed limits,” said Swanson. “You’ve got to be sensible because you can’t see forever, but there’s places in the woods
where you can drag race.
“Hill climbing, what we enjoy doing, you get up there and see who can go the farthest. It’s an adrenaline rush coming down a steep hill and jumping over a bump.”
Swanson pays the price for the adrenaline rush that accompanies snowmobiling, and not metaphorically.
Becoming an avid snowmobiler is a pricey activity, between purchasing the machine, the equipment and the gas, used not just while out in the snow, but to get to the destination as well.
“That’s the stupid part,” Swanson said.
Snowmobiles will cost roughly $6,000 and are usually good for around six or seven years. The gear will also last about that long, and runs about $500 to $600.
And while gas prices have plummeted in recent weeks, the matter of filling two tanks still adds up after a while.
Swanson said that when it comes to staying safe out there, two things in particular are essential to keep in mind, though only one of them involves riding the snowmobile.
“Getting stranded is probably the most dangerous thing,” Swanson said. “Then just being cautious when you’re coming through the corners. There are accidents with people running into each other, but most everybody is pretty good about that. You don’t see wrecks very often. The biggest thing you see trail ride wrecks from is from people drinking, missing a corner, going too fast or sliding off and hitting a tree.”
However, with years of experience under their belts, Swanson and his crew are anxiously awaiting the beginning to another exciting season of snowmobiling. Unfortunately, one thing is still missing before the group can get out there for the season.
“We’re all wishing for snow,” said Swanson.
Story by Dylan Kitzan. You can reach him at
