b'VAST NewsTRAIL TIPS - RIDING WITH A BALANCED APPROACHBut peg the gas at the wrong time and you might have a Reasonable and Prudent chat with an officer.Every rider wants to keep the rubber side down. Braking, throttle control, steering and agility are definitely important skills. Equally critical and sometimes overlooked is the need to plan ahead, multi-task and apply past experience. A balanced approach helps keep our snowmobiles upright and our odometers spinning.Blind corners and hills are a common challenge we encounter. Try tapping your brake lights to alert riders behind (Photo courtesy Internationalyou of a potential hazard. Ease off the Snowmobile Manufacturers Association) throttle and take a line as far right on the trail as possible. If you are lead, By Mike Mutascio corner for some style points ratherconsider making yourself more visible A winter that is laden with plentifulthan decelerating and staying right.by standing on the footboards so powder and magical miles is theYou guessed it. I met an oncomingoncoming traffic can see you sooner. dream of every snowmobiler. We knowsnowmobile! Braking and evasionIf necessary, you might even have to our memorable rides evolve fromworked, but barely. I became thestop altogether for oncoming traffic. the efforts of clubs and the passion ofowner of a near-miss. Never again,If something worked in the past, roll volunteers who maintain our trails. YetI said. with it.our great experience can suddenly beThere are times when we need toWe can have tons of fun on the trails. marred when Whoah, that was a closeremind ourselves of the role we playJust process what is in front of you. one! happens.in this sports success. A misplacedPrepare what is behind you. Plan for I remember several years ago whenadrenaline surge can ruin the daywhat you cannot see. You might have I went out for a late season ride.for ourselves and others. If you haveto do this in a few seconds. And being Assuming nobody would be ona desire for speed on the snow, justimpaired will distort and delay all of the trails during the week, it wassave it for appropriate terrain andthis!all rev and roost as I throttledconditions. You will likely find yourselfStay balanced. Keep snowmobiling.through the woods. I hooked a blindsledding happily for years to come. ISLAND POND PARADE OF LIGHTS FIND THE HELMETShari Fitch from the Mountain Tamers Snowmobile Club found the helmet on page 21 in the last issue. Send an About 50 sleds participated in the Parade of Lights in Island Pond. Each year, snowmobilersemail to editor@vtvast.org if you find decorate their sleds and proceed through downtown Island Pond, showing off their uniqueit in this issue. We will send one lucky lighting displays.(Jonah Petre, Dark Studios photo) winner a VAST t-shirt!Late Winter2019 | 3'