SledGolden Clean Up

When the snow disappears, the garbage doesn’t. In fact, it stays exactly where you left it. Until someone else picks it up. The logistics for collecting trash left in sledding zones are a nightmare and are expensive. Not to single anyone out (I actually am), but the 2015/2016 “Huge Loser of the Year” award goes to the person or persons responsible for leaving a burnt sled in upper Holt Creek (accessed from Gorman Lake) near Golden BC. Thanks to SledGolden for taking the initiative to clean up their managed areas and help to promote environmental stewardship within the power sports industry.

Here are a few fun stats from SledGolden’s cleanup days in the summer of 2016:

Most popular beers (in order of popularity):
-Kokanee
-Budweiser
-Pilsner
-Coors Light
-Bud Light

Most popular Beef Jerky:
-Jack Links

Most popular sled to smash into pieces on a boulder:
-Ski Doo

Most popular snow flap to rip off:
-Arctic Cat

Most popular place to congregate and scatter trash:
-Bottom of unsupported slopes (ummmmmmmm…….)

Most popular piece of garbage that was intentionally left on the ground (not cool):
-Piles of shredded belt halfway up a climb. (Turns out, rubber and Kevlar are not compostable)

Most popular piece of shrapnel to break off a sled:
-Hand guards

Most concerning piece of trash:
-Bits of smashed helmets

While I can totally appreciate the nutritional value of a mouth-watering lunch consisting of honey garlic beef jerky and a fine premium beer like Kokanee or Budweiser, I can’t empathize with the seemingly conscious disregard and total lack of respect for the fragile alpine environment when the empties and wrappers are left behind. I can understand the odd bit of trash, but when one stumbles upon a pile of garbage and beer cans in the backcountry, I can’t help but wonder if the person or persons guilty of said pile had restricted oxygen flow in the birthing canal, or perhaps fell out of too many moving vehicles, or still eats glue. Anyways. Rant over. Just pick up your shit, ok?

In other news, another beauty issue of Mountain Sledder Magazine is about to hit a bathroom facility near you signifying the start of colder weather. The beach is cancelled, so you can officially ditch the gym pass, flip flops and short shorts and get to work on your brunch bod cause hoody season is back; the tops of the peaks all over BC got some white frosting and the temps dropped below ‘sitting on the boat’ levels. For me, the cold weather signifies a different annual struggle: where is all my winter gear? Also, what condition did I leave it in? My good intentions of ‘preventative maintenance’ are usually transformed into ‘corrective maintenance’. Every fall I put my dirt bike away with the intention of pulling it out halfway through the winter and tearing down the motor and freshening it up, along with anything else that needs attention; pffft yeah right. It only makes sense that my sled gets the same neglect: ride it hard and put it away wet. Luckily, my Kitty Cat spent the summer in the clinic getting a new motor, so this winter I get a fresh start. Can’t wait to smash that thing into trees and rocks and stuff in a couple months.

I hope everyone had a great summer.

To all my winter friends: see you soon.

To all my summer friends: see you later.

-Count CDubula