One day. One snowmobile. One epic adventure. A GearJunkie editor traveled across Colorado to see what a new experience-based company has to offer.
Snowmobiling is a really fun winter sport. Especially if you are a fan of motorized activities. Yes, human-powered sports like cross-country and downhill skiing, as well as snowshoeing, have their place, but nothing quite compares to exploring winter trails on a snowmobile.
If you are a beginner, you probably have lots of questions. Where should I snowmobile? Where is the best place to go? How can I get into the sport? Also, what kind of gear do I need? Should I hire a guide?
We are here to answer those burning questions, with everything you need to know, from what to expect on a guided snowmobile tour, to what to bring, to how it all works.
Not sure where to start? Here is a great place.
The Adventure Begins
It’s 5 a.m. and I’m driving on I-70 westbound. In a few hours, I’ll be up in the Colorado high country, specifically, in the mountainous region legendarily known as home to the 10th Mountain Division. This place wasn’t new to me, but the experience would be.
As the temps dropped lower, the roads got slicker, and the steep mountain grades climbed higher, I turned my eyes back to the road. What am I doing here? I pondered as I looked down and realized I left my coffee mug at home. I wasn’t questioning myself in a literal sense (despite my lack of coffee); the thought ran deeper. What adventure am I embarking on?
The answer I’d discover later: a remarkable one. And really, half the fun of any great adventure is the anticipation.
Fast forward to daylight hours. I’m just a few miles away from my destination in the middle of nowhere, a backcountry haven at least 50 miles from the nearest hospital, a place so out of cell service there wasn’t a single radio station to serenade my drive.
A blip on the map in Colorado’s White River National Forest, somewhere along Highway 24 is the 10th Mountain Division’s Camp Hale. Before I get too far along, let me first tell you why I was there. Two words: to snowmobile.
Uncharted Society: My Trusted Guides
![snowmobile tracks in powder some snowmobile tracks in powder in mid-morning](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/01/tracks-in-powder-e1642190080987.jpg)
The opportunity came through Uncharted Society, BRP’s newest venture — a no-holds-barred adventure company that handles everything from the idea for an adventure to the guides, equipment, booking, itineraries, meals, and more.
As a relative of BRP, Uncharted Society focuses on motor-powered adventures: exploring land and road via Can-Am UTVs, water via Sea-Doo boats, and snow via Ski-Doo snowmobiles. In its first year, it already operates in dozens of locations across 10 states.
Uncharted Society led me here, to one of its partner outfitters, where a small heated lodge, sprawling snowy property, and a fleet of guides and snowmobiles greeted me. I was here for an “uncharted” experience snowmobiling in a section of Colorado’s backcountry.
Snowmobiling With a Guide: The Experience
If you’ve never been snowmobiling, here’s all you need to know: it’s a fun way to explore the outdoors — if you don’t mind the cold, that is.
![snowmobiler guide bob riding through powder a snowmobiler riding up a hillside off trail through powder](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/01/our-guide-bob.jpg)
To Guide or Not to Guide
What to Know Before You Go Snowmobiling
![snowmobiling on trail snowmobiling on a wide groomed trail in Colorado](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/01/on-trail.jpg)
How to Snowmobile: Pro Tips
![backcountry snowmobiling backcountry snowmobiling 3 people on sleds on the crest of a peak](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/01/snowmobiling.jpg)
Trip Planning: The Destination
![camp hale leadville camp hale leadville colorado in 1940s black and white photo](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/01/camp-hale-leadville-colorado-historical-society.jpg)