Keep to the Code

These hidden gems might be just off the beaten path, somehow hidden from the plain sight of passersby. Or they might be so remote that riders must be up hours before dawn just to catch enough daylight to make the long ride in worthwhile. Either way, these secret stashes are paradise. Freshies for days. Not another group in sight.

You know the one. They swear that their lips are sealed, and you trust them. But the next weekend, what do you find? Your tiny, inconspicuous parking spot is filled to the brim with trucks and trailers.

Your fingers are crossed on the ride in that they can’t find their way. But oh, no. By the time you get there, your tiny piece of heaven is smashed to bits. And there is buddy, smiling from ear to ear.

Little do they realize that this marks the end of your one-time friendship, and the last time they’ll ever be privy to such sensitive information.

If you’ve ever been “that guy”, here’s what you should know. Sled circles are tight and just like word of a new riding spot, the reputation of a chatterbox can spread like wildfire. In other words: poach someone’s secret pow stash and you’re out of the circle of trust.

Don’t care? That’s fine. And you are 100 percent correct if you believe that public land is just that. Nobody can lay claim to a zone—this isn’t the Land Rush of 1889 after all.

But don’t expect to get the call when the boys are saddling up for an adventure into a new zone when they know you’ll easily hang the code. However, if they do invite you—even after a violation—just accept the blindfold and duct tape.

Keeping to the sledder’s code of secrecy is crucial when it comes to social media as well. Everyone wants to know where them banger deep pow shots came from.

#ZipperMouthCreek, #NoTellMountain or simply #NoneYourBiznaz are good geotags. But sometimes it can be difficult to use them, especially when you’re proud of an exceptional effort to get into an area.

Don’t give in. Resist the urge to ring up the social currency!

Oh, and one more piece of advice. When you’re being interviewed by someone who *ahem* refers to themselves as a “writer for a sled magazine”, it’s completely okay to stretch the truth or be extremely generic.

For example:

Magazine writer: “What’s your favourite area to ride?”

Sledder: “The Kootenays”

When it comes to your secret pow stashes or honey holes, choose wisely who you ride with and to whom you reveal information. Even if they swear never to tell. If your gut instinct says otherwise…duct tape, bro! Use it!

– Kirsten