ATV Tires Store Blog

Most of the people I know pack it in during the winter months and stop riding their four-wheeler when the temperature gets lower than Congress’ approval rating.  Besides being cold outside, snow begins to pile up on the trails making it hard to get traction unless you have ATV snow tires. Even then, the white stuff can get deeper than Lindsay Lohan’s legal troubles, and nobody wants to deal with it. The sun goes down earlier each night, and we all suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) until next riding season.

So, What Becomes of Those Snow-Covered ATV Trails in the Winter?

In many locations around the country, and especially here in Utah, we turn them into snowmobile trails.  After all, they have all the important characteristics needed to convert them for winter recreation. 

1. Most trails that have ATV all-terrain tires tearing them up in the summertime are well mapped and have good signage.  This is important since the landscape changes so much when blanketed with snow.
2. ATV trails tend to be clear of obstacles or debris such as tree stumps, power transformers or jagged rocks.  This is kind of important, ok, really important, no matter what the season.  Sometimes the snow is deep enough to safely bury obstructions, while other times is only hides them beneath the surface.
3. Trails that ATVers frequent are generally known to be safe for riding.

This combination of factors makes off-highway vehicle routes ideal for snowmobiling in the backcountry. 

How Snow Trails are Made

The process begins in the fall when workers bound up the trails, their quad tires burdened with the weight of long orange poles, t-posts, and rolls of reflective tape.  They spend days or even weeks marking the routes so they can be seen and followed after the snow piles up.  This makes it possible for the snow cat operator to find his way. 

There are a couple of kinds of machines used to do the job; the most common is a snow cat.  Some areas with short trails and limited snow drag an implement behind a snowmobile.  Snow cats are the workhorses of the trail grooming process and you might have even seen them at work in ski resorts. 

A typical snow cat is a tracked vehicle with a plow on the front and a tiller on the back.  The purpose of the plow is to make the trail level.  This is done by knocking down drifts or by angling the blade to transfer snow from the high side of the trail to the low side.  Grooming is NOT plowing.  The tiller, dragged behind the cat, spins at varying speeds to smooth out icy surfaces or break up frozen chunks of snow.  The weight of the cat itself, usually several tons, merely compacts the snow beneath it so that lesser skilled riders won’t sink and get stuck.

Snow cats operate at slow speeds, generally under seven miles per hour and often require up to one gallon of gas per mile groomed.  Most groomers work at night because snow is easier to work when it is cold, really really cold.  Frequently, daytime temperatures cause melting and create a layer of slush that doesn’t groom well at all.

Riding the Groomed Trails

The more time you spend playing outside during the winter, the more kinds of snow you realize there are.  Groomers and snowmobilers alike need to be aware of them for both safety and pleasure.

Powder - Sometimes described as sugary, this snow is soft, light, and doesn’t contain a lot of water.  It’s fun to blast through at high speeds, however inexperienced riders often sink to the bottom and get stuck.  This is why ATV tires aren’t suited for the deep stuff.

Wet Snow - It’s like riding over a super slushy.  This snow is heavy and allows for too much traction, often causing you to dig a hole. You sink. Your ATV tires/snowmobile tracks spin. You get stuck. 

Frozen Snow - It seems strange to think of snow as anything but frozen, but we’ve all trudged across icy, crusty snow where the surface breaks and crunches with each step.  It’s difficult to operate in, even for a powerful snow cat.

Layered Snow - This is the dangerous stuff.  Bottom layers of snow are often settled and compressed and contain a great deal of water.  However, softer, lighter layers build up on top of them and, when on a slope or hillside, easily slide off.  This is one way avalanches occur. 

Pay attention and recognize the type of snow you’re in regardless of the vehicle you are driving.

Dangers or Winter Riding

Maybe you are a really skilled rider and have no problem pushing your ATV snow tires through a couple feet of the white stuff, maybe you even have ATV snow tracks; no matter how you get on wintertime trails, beware of the dangers.

• Weather - Go prepared.
• Ledges - Depth perception is often impaired in snow and fog.
• Cornices - Overhanging ledges.
• Avalanches - Take a beacon, shovel, and probe with you.
• Getting Lost - Without roads or terrain features, you can get lost easily.  Take a GPS.

Enjoy the Trails Year-Round

Although winter just ended, it’ll be back before you know it.  The next time you ride your ATV, imagine what those trails are going to look like covered with snow.  Take some time and prepare some warm gear and find out if there are groomed trails in your area.  If you can ride them, do it!

Ryan Richards

Whether you’re a rabid outdoors enthusiast or someone who takes a more relaxing approach, the International Sportsmen’s Exposition (ISE), is an entertaining and memorable way to get insights on activities, book a trip, or talk to a company representative about new products.  For anyone that lives or travels in the Western U.S., these shows are a must.

The shows are held early each year, usually January through March, to help everyone get the products and services they want before the summer season comes crashing in all too quickly.  You can attend an ISE in Sacramento, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, and Salt Lake City.  Tens of thousands of patrons fork over anywhere from $10-$18 to get in, and nearly everyone considers that a bargain.  

Expo Booths Cover Everything Imaginable and Unimaginable

Walking the aisle ways and rubbing shoulders with hundreds of complete strangers isn’t really my cup of tea, so I try to go early on a Friday morning to avoid the droves of weekend lookie-loos.  You know the type, the people who take up space and breathe air that could otherwise go to a good cause.  Ok, that might be a little mean, but since they’re not here to defend themselves, why not?

Anyway, as you peruse the fare offered at an expo, here is a sampling of what you might find.

Guided Hunting and Fishing Trips  
You can book a trip to catch salmon in Ketchikan, hunt leopards in Africa, or whale watch in the Bering Sea.  The outfitters and guides are prepared to talk your ear off with tales from the four corners of the Earth.

Educational Booths  
Among the many informational stops at the expo you will find anything ranging from the latest breakthroughs in green energy to ATV safety.  In fact, when I was at the Phoenix expo in February, the Arizona Game and Fish Department had a great display on the importance of wearing an ATV helmet.

Outdoor Gear  
You name it, they’ve got it; tents, survival bracelets, boats of all sizes, freeze-dried food, knives, fishing tackle, backpacks, and much more. 

ATVs and Accessories  
Of course I always wander into this area to check out what’s trending and drool over the stuff I can’t afford.  This year I enjoyed the camouflage ATV wheels and wondered if the popularity of Duck Dynasty inspired them.  Being a person who rides on dusty or muddy roads a lot, it was kind of cool to see what a set of Duro ATV tires looks like all polished up. 

You can gawk at everything from side-by-sides fitted with sleek-looking ATV sand tires to trailers that combine pop-up tents with an ATV rack.  You can also bring the kids along and let them find a four-wheeler that is the right size for them so you don’t purchase one that is too powerful.

Activities  
The hands-on and spectator parts of the expo make it worth the money all by themselves.  There are fly casting competitions, well-stocked fishing tanks for kids, fishing lessons, dog jumping competitions, elk bugling contests, and Phoenix even had an ATV giveaway.  

Access to Specialists  
If you want to talk to a fishing guide from Canada or help an award winning chef cook a dutch oven dinner, you can.  If boats are your thing, walk the halls of a gargantuan houseboat with a company rep and ask them anything you want to.  I spent some time ogling an Arctic Cat Wildcat and its rugged Carlisle ATV tires.  The rep was very informative and told me everything I wanted to know.

Food  
Ok, I admit it, I’m hooked on Grizzly Joes seasonings now, I cannot eat a burger without it.  Aside from seasonings, vendors sell everything; freshly made jerky, dutch ovens, cookbooks, candies and chocolate, trail mix, and even good old fashioned hot dogs.

Oddities  
It might be wrong of me to label these items as oddities, but some things just stand out and make me scratch my head.  One rather popular booth gave out free samples of Snus, which is a powdered form of chewing tobacco.  Not being a chewer or smoker myself, I find it strange that the healthy living generally engendered by outdoorsmanship has room for tobacco.  Similarly, I wonder why the energy drink booth was so popular.  Must be me.

Perhaps my favorite product at the show was a floating—yes I said floating—barbecue grill.  The thing is mounted on an inner tube so you can grill while swimming.  The salesman assured me that nothing could possibly go wrong.  Uh-huh.

Attend an Expo and See For Yourself

If you like to ride ATVs or hunt or fish or camp or hike or bird watch or all of the above, attend one of the five International Sportsmen’s Expositions to experience the fun firsthand.  You’ll be amazed at the new products on the market and the great knowledge you can glean just by asking a few questions.  Who knows, maybe you’ll even bump into a famous survivalist.

Ryan Richards

George H.W. Bush presided over the country while moviegoers flocked to the big screen to watch Wayne’s World and Basic Instinct. However, at the same time, in an arid valley of the Rocky Mountains; the small town of Richfield, Utah began the tradition of holding the Rocky Mountain Jamboree. It started as a small, local event, but has since grown into one of the premier ATV gatherings in the West.

For the past 12 years, Kevin Arrington has been the Director of the jamboree, taking it to new heights and accomplishing amazing things. Like many small town leaders, Kevin wears many hats. Aside from his duties with the jamboree he is the Tourism and Events Directory for Sevier County, Utah, a city councilman in Richfield, and member of the Paiute ATV Trail committee.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Kevin and talk about his work with the jamboree and wanted to share it here.

Q & A with Kevin Arrington

RR: When is the Rocky Mountain Jamboree?

Kevin: Two weeks after Labor Day in September. It lasts for one week.

RR: What are your responsibilities with the jamboree?

Kevin: I take care of marketing, the registration database, planning, operations, meals, guides, guided rides, park reservations, getting enough tables and chairs; in a word, everything. I also lead a committee that takes care of other associated work such as our annual ATV parade, wherein thousands of ATV wheels spin their way along Main Street each year.

RR: How many people attend the jamboree and where do they come from?

Kevin: We have 500-600 registered participants each year. In 2012 they came from 32 states as well as two other countries. Over the years we’ve had riders from every state but three; Alaska, Hawaii, and one other that I forget now.

Along with those that register, quite a few more come to the park and attend certain events. It’s about one third the amount of those registered. And ever since we added more diverse rides, wives attend with their husbands, completely eliminating “jamboree widows.”

Then add all the ride guides, support riders, vendors, sponsors, etc. and we get a really big crowd that takes over the park for a week. It’s a lot of fun.

RR: What are the best one or two things that make this jamboree unique?

Kevin: It’s more than just a ride. Our guided rides have lunch, shoot skeet, go out after dark, give away prizes, and all kinds of other unique activities. We make the event more than a ride. The guided ride nature of the event is key; it’s important. We don’t just hand out a map and say, “Here you go.” People can ride independently if they choose to, but most prefer a guided ride because they are so rewarding.

Guides are an important way to get started on the thousand mile Paiute Trail so you don’t worry about getting lost.

RR: Out of towners – why should they come?

Kevin: We have pretty large trail systems in this area and it can be hard to understand; the Paiute alone is over a thousand miles of trail. The jamboree is a good way to learn the system before tackling it on your own. Each year we have 30-35% of new riders at the jamboree. Those that learn the trail begin planning trips on their own after a few years.

Another reason to come is if your area has limited access for ATVs, you can ride ‘til your heart’s content here. Sometimes I don’t think even we understand what we have in our own backyard.

There’s also the camaraderie of spending time together with people from around the country who share the same love of off road excitement that you do. And you get to see all the ways other people outfit their machine with bags, accoutrements, ATV tires, storage, safety; especially with UTVs.

RR: Talk about the vendors and what they offer?

Kevin: There are three kinds of vendors at the jamboree.

First, we have national brands; manufacturers such as Arctic Cat, Honda, and Polaris. Over the years, we’ve had all major brand names, even Can-Am and Kawasaki. They bring the latest products, machines, and ATV tires to showcase to the public. Jamboree participants can see all sorts of new equipment, take demo rides and try out new machines.

The second kind of vendor group tends to be central Utah businesses selling ATV accessories and equipment. Many of them have innovations and products that they’ve come up with that they want to show. These items include loading ramps, UTV seats, storage racks, and things like that. Some sell their products at a discount as the event winds down.

Finally, information groups who try to educate or encourage particular activities are on hand each year. These folks represent everything from Utah State Parks to the Blue Ribbon Coalition. They offer a good element to the jamboree.

RR: What about bringing kids?

Kevin: School’s in session so there aren’t a lot of kids at the jamboree. Of those that do come, some ride; some are passengers. They need to be at least eight years old and certified in Utah to ride.

RR: Do jamboree participants need to have a Utah temporary registration decal?

Kevi: No. Utah law allows those participating in an organized event, such as the jamboree, an exemption from the temporary registration requirements.

RR: What do the local communities do to welcome people to the jamboree?

Kevin: Cities and towns open their streets to more ATV use. The Richfield city Chief of Police speaks during the opening ceremonies to let everyone know riders are welcome. Riders get lots of coupons and really great local deals. There is even a “Shop ‘Til You Drop” ride to local stores. In the evenings we hold events at the park (dinner, parade, snacks and entertainment) to help make it a good time.

RR: Anything else you’d like to share?

Kevin: In this tough economy, we want to make sure it’s affordable, so the price is $100 per person. This includes all the guided rides, poker run cards, t-shirts, meal, etc. It really is a good bargain.

Our website with all the information necessary to get involved is atvjam.com

Great Way to End Your Riding Season

It’s pretty clear that riders from all over America enjoy riding one of the premier trail systems in the country and the Rocky Mountain Jamboree is a fun way to get acquainted with it. Since it’s in September, it’s a super way to cap off a long summer of riding. As Kevin said, “It’s more than just a ride.” I think that about sums it up.

Ryan Richards