Feb. 6, 2005 Sooley Cabin Beater Day: (19 Photos)

 

19.   Beater Day came about because the Annual Winter Trip to the Sooley Cabin was rapidly approaching and we didn't have means to transport all of our sleds at the same time. Not everyone had trailers and some of us had more than one sled to bring this year.

 

 

18.   We decided that we would take my Project Invader 440 and Sooley's Enticer 340 to the cabin this weekend and store them in the shed. Since we were driving all the way out we decided to make a day of it and beater day was born!

 

 

17.   Sooley, Bill and I headed out over the highway under beautiful sunny skies and quickly got the sleds unloaded and got the old Enticer II 410 running for Bill to ride.

 

 

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15.   We spent most of the day cruising the ponds and trails all around the cabin, power line and Highwaters. On my first trip down the hill from the cabin to the pond, my Invader's right ski hit a depression in the snow, threw me off, flipped belly up, and skidded upside down on glare ice for about 50 feet up the pond. I skidded on my rear end just ahead of it! Luckily my clear coated paint job sustained no damage, and the bent handle bars were easily straightened. These old sleds are tangly to ride, with about 3" of suspension travel they don't soak up the bumps like a modern sled and if your not paying attention they will bite you!

 

 

14.   The terror didn't end there, as we crossed a gully on the way to Highwaters, the Old Enticer threw Sooley off on his back as well!

 

 

13.   Even Bill was not left unchecked as later in the day the newer Enticer II threw him off in fine style!

 

 

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9.   Later that afternoon French and Maffer arrived. Maffer didn't have his machine with him, and French didn't have a beater sled but brought his usual ride a Yamaha RX-Warrior. Maffer and I decided that technically any Yamaha counts as a beater so that was best kind.

 

 

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7.   As the sun began to set  we had a Beater Day drag race at the top of Sooley's pond, I was riding my Invader 440, and Maffer rode Sooley's old Enticer 340. We started on the pole line for better traction and raced across the glare ice on the pond.

 

 

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3.   Sleds don't stop well on glare ice, I was fast enough to win but struck the bank on the far side of the pond, luckily there was no carnage inflicted on Project Invader.

 

 

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1.   With darkness setting in we locked up the sleds and headed for home reflecting on another awesome day at the cabin!

Cheers,  MIKE

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