Riehl, who has maxed her machine out at 90 mph, offered advice on tackling the bumpier playground terrain. Launching off jumps above them, on the south side of Shoestring Glacier, were Jeff Delbridge and Dennis Smith of Vancouver. Catching 10 feet of air comes easily to these veterans. Shutting off his motor at about 4,800 feet on the mountain, Smith took a deep breath. And to breathe in the fresh mountain air well, life just doesn't get better than this.
Safety always is the top priority on a mountain that can turn ferocious in a matter of minutes.
We wait for each other, or if somebody gets stuck, we all work together to push them out and get 'em moving again. We don't take risky chances as a group. Back at the Sno-Park, the group rolled in, waving to other snowmobilers who had called it quits for the day. After strapping the machines onto trailers, most headed for the RVs for some good food and good times. Snowmobiling is a fast-growing sport, particularly among baby boomers.