Watched your video on side hilling a month ago, a few times before my first snowmobile trip ever & first time on sled as well ! I do ride enduros on single track here in New england and streetbikes on back road twistys as well... so I'm not new to high power, lightweight, speed machines... I also just turned 51 in January ..so this was a belated bday/ bucket list trip for myself... I hit up Albany lodge in wyo A great experience , with my friend an experienced extreme mountain rider from Colorado on his ski doo 800...I rented the Polaris 850 pro 155 ....had a fricken blast ! Point & shoot ! That machine did it !! Huge hill climbs , tight trees at slow speeds in deep stuff , 80 mph in the open areas.. It was awesome stuff , I'm hooked !! your video helped me out greatly ! Put your lesson into action ! thank you !! It made my experience that much better & gave me some confidence to maintain control !! , lol ...most of the time .. also hit up Grand lake and Jones pass on my friends back up sled/ wife's artic cat 500 and rode his 800 doo in colorado...lol only had to shovel my buddy out !! 💪 😎🤘
It hadn’t clicked with me the importance of counter steering while sidehilling until this video. This year will be my first year of hopefully many on a snowmobile I just like led up a low mile 08 Arctic cat m8 sno pro to learn the fundamentals on and maybe upgrade in a few years after I bash it a bit. Been snowboarding and riding motorcycles my whole life so this will be a fun change of pace! Thanks for the content helping me learn before I hit the snow!
What a coincidence that I was actually practicing this same technique last week, while up at Aventure Chic Choc's! In the back of my mind though I heard your voice Dan saying to go slow, stay in control, throttle/brake modulation, and most importantly counter steer. Needless to say, Dan, your videos have helped progress me as a rider immensely! With last year being my first season on a mountain sled, I am happy to say that your videos have helped turn me from a "wide-eyed greenhorn" to a rider who is now going into zones that I would never think possible previously. I still get stuck a lot but yet I find myself getting stuck less than last year and in more risky areas. Thanks, Dan & team Nxt Lvl, love the content and get wait to watch more!
@@NextLevelRidingClinics it's my pleasure to compliment you guys on your excellence! Keep up the great work so I can continue to learn and hopefully make it out to ride with you guys on of these day!
Dan, just wanted to drop a note of thanks. My first mountain experience was last March in Island Park with the boys at SnoWest Mag. I live in Michigan and have extensive on and off trail, flat lander experience. BUT, had no true technique for mountain riding. Fortunately, the wisdom of Steve and Lane made the experience amazing! Since then, I've intently studied all of your videos and will be putting it all to use in early March again with them! Would be amazing to meet you on the mountain! Thank you for all you do!! Impeccable instruction!!
Great video. I have the common mistakes video on repeat, best video ever... QUESTION: How do I recover a lost countersteer on sidehill? I was out last weekend and lost my sidehill. Left ski up slope and pointed into the hill, throttle-side downhill and level and starting to go lower than level with my my counter steer lost. Didn't roll it downhill but it took all my strength to keep it from rolling over and could barely reach the throttle, finally just went for it and made it work for another 20', narrowly missing the downhill tree but then washed out the rearend , darted uphill and immediately trenched it. I realize I lost my shoulders and hips straight ahead, but how to recover? What's the best way to recover when you still have it cleaned over but the uphill ski is pointed towards the hill and not away? The sled feels like it wants to roll
Clearly I'm not Dan, and I hope he answers this one, but I wanted to share my experience. This was a common struggle point for me for years, even with my newer Gen4 850, as they have a tendency to want to turn uphill when sidehilling. Another really good pro (rhymes with Mentz ! :) ) taught me that rather than maintaining a balance point when sidehilling, which I tried to do to minimize putting too much weight on my paddling foot, what I needed to be doing was having a "default" sled lean where if I let go, the sled wants to lean into the hill. You go along with the sled slightly leaned uphill and push off with your wrong-foot-forward to offset the lean. Then if you get bumped around or need to stop, the sled won't immediately start to rotate away from you just like you described. You're giving yourself more time to react and move forward because you're pushing the sled away from the hill (easy) rather than trying to pull it back to you (hard).
I might have missed this one but around me we end up having to do a lot of ditch riding to get around and getting in and out of them can be tricky and dangerous. I would welcome a video on that if possible!
It's tricky. Getting out any mistake and you get embedded in a fence. I too would like to see videos on ot but maybe these sponsored guys aren't too into ditchbanging.
Great video as always. I would like to see a video on how you like to anticipate & use vision/focus far enough forward in the trees to keep momentum but close enough to manage the tight spaces and tricky spots. Keep up the great work!
would love to see a video of dealing with sleds that are under powered, Your tips have helped me soo much its almost unbelievable but I ride a 550 voyageur ... im not in the mountains but we do have some hilly terrain and lots of snow...
Big fan, I recently went out to BC to do some riding in the mountains for the first time, and while my guides were awesome, some videos of yours I watched afterwards really clicked. I guess having experienced it helped also, but now I’m really itching to go back. I will make it to Alpine for a week eventually. So my question is, (and I think it’s a question that would make for a great video) how do you go about transitions. So I know in a side hill, you blip the throttle counter steer and one foot forward. I’d love to learn more about the transitions say being on flat land, climbing a hill, when do you move your feet. At which point. I guess I understand the techniques, but it’s stringing them together based on depth of snow, how hard the snow is or how soft. This is what I struggle with. Thanks for putting out awesome content!
Great job! I Love your videos! Pls continue and wish you all the best! Greetings from Czech Republic and pls send us some snow to middle Europe , because situation is tragical: beginning of Feb, and still waiting for snow...horrible!!
Hey! Thanks so much for the videos. Been a huge help. I would love one on how to jump a snowmobile properly. Lots of painful trial and error learning that
Hi Dan!Great lesson!Would you please make a video on the technique how to cross mountain river snow canyons as it happens a lot of the time when you ride offtrack in our Rodopi and Rila mountains here in Bulgaria? We need to drive about 20 miles along a small river bank both sides and usually we must cross these canyons a hundred times before we reach the open terrain.I will appreciate your comments on this matter.Good luck and stay safe!
I’ve watched a number of these. You stress the blip and being ready with the brake. I think it would be beneficial for us viewer if your gloves were a bright contrasting colour from ur gear se we can better see hand position and how you work both brake and throttle to stay in control. Just a thot. Love the videos. Thanks for the great tutorials. I really appreciate the clear articulate techniques you present.
Thanks for the video, Dan. I would love to see a video on weight transfer. Coming out of a 180 a lot of times I have a problem with how and when to transfer my weight back to the neutral position. I have done complete circles on many occasions. What’s the easy, smooth way to transfer your weight back to the neutral position. Thanks!!
Jeff Vollmer I’ve heard too much throttle makes it harder to transfer your weight back to neutral position. I’ve had same problem and I’ve worked at giving less throttle as the sled turns back up, then as it turns up I do think it’s easier to get back to neutral and then hard on the throttle and you can go straight up
awesome thanks. I end up challenging myself by following my tracks back out across the field I just powder turned in. I seen how far up the hillside you were... not me.
I don't recommend disconnecting sway bars will make the sled dive the front end more. the suspension needs help holding itself up especailly in these ruts
countersteer and lean, if its a really uphill climb your skis won't be on the ground so leaning will help a lot. just remember that it's not instantly going to react, sometimes you just have to ANTICIPATE and have faith that you were leaning early enough and the sled will go where you want to it eventually. it takes some time to get used to but eventually you can get it
Dan, just some feedback for you .... excellent vid on an important topic. You are a natural instructor. I think you have missed your professional calling, you should be teaching professionally. Nice job!
can you give us any tips on ridding a heavier sled? I weight 170lbs all dressed up and I purchases an expedition se 900. I like boondocking, but I also do a lot of ice fishing and towing. when I trail ride with some buddies, ill venture off onto the hill a bit. I'm having some issues with controlling the sled because of it weight and track width. any tips other then sell? ahaha I'm trying to work on my throttle blip while keeping a finger on the break at all times. I find that in fresh deep powder I'm having more fun because I don't have to work as hard. I suppose the ideal sled for me would be the tundra extreme with the 850, but I don't think that will happen any time soon. Can you suggest anything for my big pig and me? ( oh, and I do have my skis set to the narrow 46.5" setting)thanks again, and as always, thanks for you vids. very informative.
Those bigger utility sleds are designed to drive more like the classic sleds, they are not set up for powder carving or mountain riding. They are for fishers and trappers used to the traditional maneuvering of classic snowmobiles by turning the bars and transferring your weight. Im sure the new Expedition Extreme and Polaris Titan would be better suited for 50/50 work and play, the se is more straight utility and trail, especially with heavy 4 stroke engine. My uncle is a trapper and he bought a dragon switchback and had to sell it because it was too tippy for trapping, and hes too old to toss it around.
Chuck Beef your absolutely right. I new that when i purchased it. It still handles very well, and i would never try and follow 2stokes up the mountain( not in their tracks anyways). I was kind of hoping to get tips on handling bigger, heavier sleds. The wide ski stance and huge 20” track make it harder to carve, and manoeuvre. ( again, not its intended purpose). I have had some good times side hilling and catwalking over humps, but i was hoping to get tips on not letting the sled buck me off when im sidehilling. Lol. 700lbs is just too much counterweight when it decides to kick you off. I figure if i can make that pig do what i want, that ill be that much more agile when i hop on a mountain sled.
frank lefebvre Ya i have to buy the lightest machine i can because im 155lbs 5’11”. I dont live in the mountains so my last one was a switchback assault. Awesome on the trail, awesome in the deep stuff and awesome at pulling my ice fishing sleigh, a fibreglass Totem. Great all around sled for play and fishing. Not a good sled if your hauling firewood or doing heavy towing. But a 150lb sleigh is nothing for it. My friend just bought a tundra extreme. Pretty cool sled, but still takes a big guy to get the most out of it.
Can you please do a semi detailed video on tree riding, how to pick a spot to go into the trees and what to do if something goes a little different? Long shot but somethin id really enjoy seeing since im not to good at it!
Watched your video on side hilling a month ago, a few times before my first snowmobile trip ever & first time on sled as well ! I do ride enduros on single track here in New england and streetbikes on back road twistys as well... so I'm not new to high power, lightweight, speed machines...
I also just turned 51 in January ..so this was a belated bday/ bucket list trip for myself...
I hit up Albany lodge in wyo A great experience , with my friend an experienced extreme mountain rider from Colorado on his ski doo 800...I rented the Polaris 850 pro 155 ....had a fricken blast ! Point & shoot ! That machine did it !! Huge hill climbs , tight trees at slow speeds in deep stuff , 80 mph in the open areas.. It was awesome stuff , I'm hooked !!
your video helped me out greatly ! Put your lesson into action !
thank you !! It made my experience that much better & gave me some confidence to maintain control !! , lol ...most of the time .. also hit up Grand lake and Jones pass on my friends back up sled/ wife's artic cat 500 and rode his 800 doo in colorado...lol only had to shovel my buddy out !! 💪 😎🤘
It hadn’t clicked with me the importance of counter steering while sidehilling until this video. This year will be my first year of hopefully many on a snowmobile I just like led up a low mile 08 Arctic cat m8 sno pro to learn the fundamentals on and maybe upgrade in a few years after I bash it a bit. Been snowboarding and riding motorcycles my whole life so this will be a fun change of pace! Thanks for the content helping me learn before I hit the snow!
What a coincidence that I was actually practicing this same technique last week, while up at Aventure Chic Choc's! In the back of my mind though I heard your voice Dan saying to go slow, stay in control, throttle/brake modulation, and most importantly counter steer. Needless to say, Dan, your videos have helped progress me as a rider immensely! With last year being my first season on a mountain sled, I am happy to say that your videos have helped turn me from a "wide-eyed greenhorn" to a rider who is now going into zones that I would never think possible previously. I still get stuck a lot but yet I find myself getting stuck less than last year and in more risky areas. Thanks, Dan & team Nxt Lvl, love the content and get wait to watch more!
Thats awesome Bryan, stories like this is exactly why we run Next Level and this channel. Thanks for your support.
@@NextLevelRidingClinics it's my pleasure to compliment you guys on your excellence! Keep up the great work so I can continue to learn and hopefully make it out to ride with you guys on of these day!
Dan, just wanted to drop a note of thanks. My first mountain experience was last March in Island Park with the boys at SnoWest Mag. I live in Michigan and have extensive on and off trail, flat lander experience. BUT, had no true technique for mountain riding. Fortunately, the wisdom of Steve and Lane made the experience amazing! Since then, I've intently studied all of your videos and will be putting it all to use in early March again with them! Would be amazing to meet you on the mountain! Thank you for all you do!! Impeccable instruction!!
Lol, just noticed, was logged into my wife's account.
Thanks for the kind words Ann and great to hear the videos are helping.
Hey dan!! Give us a video on how to use the brake properly when riding and side hilling !!
Hi Johnny, we talk about brake use in the Sidehilling 101 video.
Great video. I have the common mistakes video on repeat, best video ever... QUESTION: How do I recover a lost countersteer on sidehill? I was out last weekend and lost my sidehill. Left ski up slope and pointed into the hill, throttle-side downhill and level and starting to go lower than level with my my counter steer lost. Didn't roll it downhill but it took all my strength to keep it from rolling over and could barely reach the throttle, finally just went for it and made it work for another 20', narrowly missing the downhill tree but then washed out the rearend , darted uphill and immediately trenched it. I realize I lost my shoulders and hips straight ahead, but how to recover? What's the best way to recover when you still have it cleaned over but the uphill ski is pointed towards the hill and not away? The sled feels like it wants to roll
Clearly I'm not Dan, and I hope he answers this one, but I wanted to share my experience. This was a common struggle point for me for years, even with my newer Gen4 850, as they have a tendency to want to turn uphill when sidehilling. Another really good pro (rhymes with Mentz ! :) ) taught me that rather than maintaining a balance point when sidehilling, which I tried to do to minimize putting too much weight on my paddling foot, what I needed to be doing was having a "default" sled lean where if I let go, the sled wants to lean into the hill. You go along with the sled slightly leaned uphill and push off with your wrong-foot-forward to offset the lean. Then if you get bumped around or need to stop, the sled won't immediately start to rotate away from you just like you described. You're giving yourself more time to react and move forward because you're pushing the sled away from the hill (easy) rather than trying to pull it back to you (hard).
Great video Dan
Man, I wish you posted this a week earlier. Tore my acl and mcl on a rut, it was flat light but I could have used this information.
I might have missed this one but around me we end up having to do a lot of ditch riding to get around and getting in and out of them can be tricky and dangerous. I would welcome a video on that if possible!
It's tricky. Getting out any mistake and you get embedded in a fence. I too would like to see videos on ot but maybe these sponsored guys aren't too into ditchbanging.
Thanks Dan
More good info!!
Great channel love it
Slow motion is great but I think most people would appreciate these demonstrations in real time as well.
We try to do more slow motion in these riding tips videos so the viewer can see body position, technique etc.
Great video as always. I would like to see a video on how you like to anticipate & use vision/focus far enough forward in the trees to keep momentum but close enough to manage the tight spaces and tricky spots. Keep up the great work!
Thats a great idea, we will get it on the list. Thank you
Another great vid! Thanks bro.
would love to see a video of dealing with sleds that are under powered, Your tips have helped me soo much its almost unbelievable but I ride a 550 voyageur ... im not in the mountains but we do have some hilly terrain and lots of snow...
Big fan, I recently went out to BC to do some riding in the mountains for the first time, and while my guides were awesome, some videos of yours I watched afterwards really clicked. I guess having experienced it helped also, but now I’m really itching to go back. I will make it to Alpine for a week eventually.
So my question is, (and I think it’s a question that would make for a great video) how do you go about transitions. So I know in a side hill, you blip the throttle counter steer and one foot forward. I’d love to learn more about the transitions say being on flat land, climbing a hill, when do you move your feet. At which point. I guess I understand the techniques, but it’s stringing them together based on depth of snow, how hard the snow is or how soft. This is what I struggle with.
Thanks for putting out awesome content!
Great vids really improved my riding
Thanks Ray
Out here at rabbit ears havin a blast tearin it up 4ft of fresh pow fallin hope 2 c u out here
Great job! I Love your videos! Pls continue and wish you all the best! Greetings from Czech Republic and pls send us some snow to middle Europe , because situation is tragical: beginning of Feb, and still waiting for snow...horrible!!
Hey! Thanks so much for the videos. Been a huge help. I would love one on how to jump a snowmobile properly. Lots of painful trial and error learning that
Don't blip the throttle before you land...itll break your crank with your primary still attached...😭 ask me how i know
We have been getting a lot of requests for a jump video lately, its on the list for future videos.
Hi Dan!Great lesson!Would you please make a video on the technique how to cross mountain river snow canyons as it happens a lot of the time when you ride offtrack in our Rodopi and Rila mountains here in Bulgaria? We need to drive about 20 miles along a small river bank both sides and usually we must cross these canyons a hundred times before we reach the open terrain.I will appreciate your comments on this matter.Good luck and stay safe!
I’ve watched a number of these. You stress the blip and being ready with the brake. I think it would be beneficial for us viewer if your gloves were a bright contrasting colour from ur gear se we can better see hand position and how you work both brake and throttle to stay in control. Just a thot. Love the videos. Thanks for the great tutorials. I really appreciate the clear articulate techniques you present.
Thanks for the video, Dan. I would love to see a video on weight transfer. Coming out of a 180 a lot of times I have a problem with how and when to transfer my weight back to the neutral position. I have done complete circles on many occasions. What’s the easy, smooth way to transfer your weight back to the neutral position. Thanks!!
Jeff Vollmer I’ve heard too much throttle makes it harder to transfer your weight back to neutral position. I’ve had same problem and I’ve worked at giving less throttle as the sled turns back up, then as it turns up I do think it’s easier to get back to neutral and then hard on the throttle and you can go straight up
I SEESEA Thanks a lot. Headed up the mountain tomorrow. I’ll play around with that.
Jeff Vollmer oh I’m jealous!!!
awesome thanks. I end up challenging myself by following my tracks back out across the field I just powder turned in. I seen how far up the hillside you were... not me.
Dan can you show a video with much worse conditions. Like baked out, hard ruts, that are old and going over those side hill. Tks
Great tips again. I have to practise a lot more. I tend to washout or lay flat and head down the slope. Ha ha
Thanks for watching Stephen
Are you running a disconnected or attached sway bar and what are your thoughts on either?
Yes, wondering if pulling mine off my SBA would help with that, have the shocks on second softest setting with a fair bit of preload.
I don't recommend disconnecting sway bars will make the sled dive the front end more. the suspension needs help holding itself up especailly in these ruts
@@Rossxr it will make it lean but it would be easier you boondock
Can you do a video on descending a sled on a steep slope in spring like conditions please?
Good idea, we will put it on the list.
I'd like to see a video on how to be able to steer the sled going uphill at full throttle. I never know where it's going to go. Thanks!
countersteer and lean, if its a really uphill climb your skis won't be on the ground so leaning will help a lot. just remember that it's not instantly going to react, sometimes you just have to ANTICIPATE and have faith that you were leaning early enough and the sled will go where you want to it eventually. it takes some time to get used to but eventually you can get it
Your one of the few professional riders who is not dripping with arrogance!!
Thank you, we appreciate that.
Jumps, up hill and down hill approaches PLEASE!
Thanks
Do you apply brake and throttle simultaneously or are you quickly switching between them?
Have you done any videos about mtn riding in hard snow (spring like conditions)?
Dan, just some feedback for you .... excellent vid on an important topic. You are a natural instructor. I think you have missed your professional calling, you should be teaching professionally. Nice job!
would love to know your thoughts on swaybar. disconnected or keep it on??
We typically keep the swaybar connected
Do a how to ride in deep powder. Please
Can you do some beginners techniques? I am 13 and I ride an ski-doo 800
can you give us any tips on ridding a heavier sled? I weight 170lbs all dressed up and I purchases an expedition se 900. I like boondocking, but I also do a lot of ice fishing and towing. when I trail ride with some buddies, ill venture off onto the hill a bit. I'm having some issues with controlling the sled because of it weight and track width. any tips other then sell? ahaha I'm trying to work on my throttle blip while keeping a finger on the break at all times. I find that in fresh deep powder I'm having more fun because I don't have to work as hard. I suppose the ideal sled for me would be the tundra extreme with the 850, but I don't think that will happen any time soon. Can you suggest anything for my big pig and me? ( oh, and I do have my skis set to the narrow 46.5" setting)thanks again, and as always, thanks for you vids. very informative.
Those bigger utility sleds are designed to drive more like the classic sleds, they are not set up for powder carving or mountain riding. They are for fishers and trappers used to the traditional maneuvering of classic snowmobiles by turning the bars and transferring your weight. Im sure the new Expedition Extreme and Polaris Titan would be better suited for 50/50 work and play, the se is more straight utility and trail, especially with heavy 4 stroke engine. My uncle is a trapper and he bought a dragon switchback and had to sell it because it was too tippy for trapping, and hes too old to toss it around.
Chuck Beef your absolutely right. I new that when i purchased it. It still handles very well, and i would never try and follow 2stokes up the mountain( not in their tracks anyways). I was kind of hoping to get tips on handling bigger, heavier sleds. The wide ski stance and huge 20” track make it harder to carve, and manoeuvre. ( again, not its intended purpose). I have had some good times side hilling and catwalking over humps, but i was hoping to get tips on not letting the sled buck me off when im sidehilling. Lol. 700lbs is just too much counterweight when it decides to kick you off. I figure if i can make that pig do what i want, that ill be that much more agile when i hop on a mountain sled.
frank lefebvre Ya i have to buy the lightest machine i can because im 155lbs 5’11”. I dont live in the mountains so my last one was a switchback assault. Awesome on the trail, awesome in the deep stuff and awesome at pulling my ice fishing sleigh, a fibreglass Totem. Great all around sled for play and fishing. Not a good sled if your hauling firewood or doing heavy towing. But a 150lb sleigh is nothing for it. My friend just bought a tundra extreme. Pretty cool sled, but still takes a big guy to get the most out of it.
ты очень крут!!!!
Can you please do a semi detailed video on tree riding, how to pick a spot to go into the trees and what to do if something goes a little different? Long shot but somethin id really enjoy seeing since im not to good at it!
Thats a good idea, we will put it on the list for future videos. Thanks Bryatt
I like how he always has sunglasses on
The sun on a snow white hillside can be a real bitch lol
I hate when people track up my secret riding spots 🤬, especially on private property. This might help calm me down haha.
Haha no kidding.
Please speak and show in video. Becouse its hard to understanding all when your level english is low.