A couple of bucks snowmobile accident.


I just bought a replacment sled a 96 Vamax 600 Mountain Max.
I go over this thread on the anniversary of the accident every year. And the replacement sled that I picked up was a 96 XT6 that I turned into a Mountain Max +. Your accident and mine have eerie similarities.
I want all you new guys to read and LEARN from my accident.
 
Man that must have been rough recovering from that.
I'm not a big fan of night riding. When I ride with my friends I let them lead but when I ride with my dad I lead.
Knock on wood so far all I've had was a concussion and a broken collar bone. My older brother hit a corn planter about 10 year ago and it shoved his brain forward. He was night riding on a poorly marked trail and the planter was beside the trail covered in snow and know body seen it...
 
Its amazing how fast stuff can come up when you are on a sled. Glad to see you made it. I hate riding around here in northwest Indiana because of obsticles. I hit a lump of frozen cornstalks left by a combine last year and got thrown off at about 40mph. I still cannot lift my arm without feeling a lot of pain in my shoulder. Could have been way worse though since there was a bunch of trees about 10 feet over from where I landed. The sled somehow stayed upright and was still moving when I jumped up to see if it went in the trees. I went riding with my buddies a couple days later and I could not keep up. kept thinking I was going to hit something. I was last and my wife was in front and she said she hit the same lump but hit it off center enough that the ski absorbed some of it. I am just glad she didn't get thrown off and then my sled hit her. The goal is to stay alive and learn from mistakes.
 
Poorly marked trail is an understatement. Here's the scenario. A straight 50 mph trail, a SHARP 90* r/h turn that you'd have to make at 5 mph. Well, if you didn't make that turn, 10-15 feet past where you SHOULD have turned at was ravine w/ trees growing up in it. Whoever made and failed to mark that trail shout be kicked in the f*€k!n balls. I mean...... How stupid are you.
It was something straight off of Willy coyote & Roadrunner.
 
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The trail that runs from galien, mi to new buffalo is the worst trail I had ever rode and I rode it alot because I lived about 1/4 mile from it. There always seemed to be trees and everything thing else just laid across it and bam you hit it because it was covered they never take care of that trail.
2 years ago we rode behind the groomer he just left the bar and was taking the snow off the trail and piling it up at the stop sings.
One part of the trail goes down dirt rode called Adams rd (locally know as cemetery rd as it runs into a cemetery) never has snow on it and its about a mile down the rode with lots of trees and just a couple of field openings to some snow. Worst trail ever I think for my area.
 
Poorly marked trail is an understatement. Here's the scenario. A straight 50 mph trail, a SHARP 90* r/h turn that you'd have to make at 5 mph. Well, if you didn't make that turn, 10-15 feet past where you SHOULD have turned at was ravine w/ trees growing up in it. Whoever made and failed to mark that trail shout be kicked in the f*€k!n balls. I mean...... How stupid are you.
It was something straight off of Willy coyote & Roadrunner.

That sucks! I've seen more than a few trails around here that had the turn sign after the turn...doesn't make sense!
 
Poorly marked trail is an understatement. Here's the scenario. A straight 50 mph trail, a SHARP 90* r/h turn that you'd have to make at 5 mph. Well, if you didn't make that turn, 10-15 feet past where you SHOULD have turned at was ravine w/ trees growing up in it. Whoever made and failed to mark that trail shout be kicked in the f*€k!n balls. I mean...... How stupid are you.
It was something straight off of Willy coyote & Roadrunner.
Ya, that sucks. Is it marked good now?
 
Also how is it riding with a vest? Been thinking about getting one for me and the wife. I had a rib injury a couple years ago. Not as bad as yours but still was not fun. I went in to work during a snowstorm and the wind blew away the snow in a spot and it was ice smooth as glass. I slipped and fell with all my weight on top of my thermos right on my ribcage. Never went to the doc but I know I broke ribs in the front and by my spine. Was about 8 months till it healed. That was the Monday before a snowmobile trip. Rough trails on a pro action is not fun. I had to have my cousin start my sled when it was cold. And I got stuck off the trail and could barely climb up the hill to get back on the trail so they could find me. We had to turn the sled around in 3 feet of snow. Hurt like a b!tch. If a vest could help avoid rib injuries in the future it would be well worth it.
 
That portion of the trail no longer used because of this.
Back on post #73, I said something about always thinking about this field/trail whenever I went out to work on my sled. It was almost like I'd "zone out" for a second or two. Like I said before, I was destined to do this.
At least some good came out of it. Your accident maybe saved someone else's life. Maybe even whoever would have been leading that night if you weren't since you didn't normally lead. They might have hit it just a little bit different.
 
Anniversary of the accident guys. To all new members, please read and heed. Don't make the mistakes I made. It forever changed my life and my family's.
^^^^What that guy said ^^^^^ Was in the hospital on the 20th of December (accident anniversary) having stitches removed from incisions 7 & 8. It's been 8 years guys and I've had a foot in my coffin and the other on a banana peel ever since.
New guys ...... read ....... and actual learn from this. What not to do.
 
Been wearing a Tekvest since 2010(Sled and Quad),Helmet since 1982.First time i landed on my head was riding a Bravo LT that got stuck in a deep ATV rut,lucky that day i was wearing a cheap skidoo open face lid(And only going 30mph:wink:)You get so use to these items ,forgetting them is like not having shoes on your feet when you step out:whine:.
 
The best vest is the Freestyle by Tekvest.Expensive but very comfortable.Keeps you core body warm but can be worn in the summer time(Stays pretty cool).Before you buy try one on for size.I wear mine underneath all my gear.
 
It annual speech time to all the new guys. Yesterday was the anniversary date. Everyone who is new this year ....... please read and heed. Don't be a dumb @ss and think your invincible. Like I was.
By the way ..... I had yet another operation this year because of this accident.
 


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