If you're a powersports manufacturer, then making cool vehicles that people find compelling is obviously your first point of focus. But where do you go from there?
Accessories and gear are pretty much a given, as every vehicle owner usually wants to change at least something about their ride, or show their model/brand pride if they really get into it. After all, how is everyone else supposed to know that you love snowmobiles if you don't wear the merch? Sure, it might come up in conversation. But maybe you don't even ever have that conversation if you're not wearing a shirt that sparks recognition that "Hey, this person likes what you like, and might be cool to talk to!"
Just about everyone does that, though, so how do you set yourself apart?
If you're Bombardier Recreational Products (or BRP, as most people probably call them), you do things a little differently. Because you know, deep down, that you're not only selling vehicles. What you're really selling are experiences. Adventures, even.
That's why Uncharted Society exists. It's a BRP initiative that connects adventure-seekers with local guided tour operators in beautiful locales across North America. From ATVs to side-by-sides to personal watercraft and snowmobiles, there's a whole range of experiences to choose from, in some of the most breathtakingly scenic places this continent has to offer.
How do I know? Because I just came back from learning how to snowmobile in some of the most stunning federally protected lands in Wyoming. I mean, seriously, look at this place.
The area is breathtaking, and not just because I came from a low elevation and was suddenly nearly 10,000 feet up a mountain.
Wyoming is the kind of place where, as beautiful as it might look in photos, they'll never truly do it justice. To really know what it's like in your bones, you have to go. You have to do the thing, and no amount of my or anyone else's telling you about it will ever be an adequate substitute for that experience. How it looks; how it smells; how it feels to do something you might never previously have seen yourself doing. Or, conversely, how it feels to finally do something you've always wanted to try, but the stars just never properly aligned so that you could.
The Uncharted Society course was geared toward beginner and intermediate riders, and the class size was blessedly limited. Even better, everything was included, a definite plus if you don't own snowmobile gear, and you want to try it out but aren't sure if it's going to become your next full-on outdoor pursuit.
Our experience was guided by the fine folks at Off-Grid Experiences, along with ace BRP snowmobile ambassador and extremely experienced backcountry rider Lisa Granden. After a brief introduction to the features of our Ski-Doo Summit sleds, including familiarizing ourselves with the controls, we set off on a ride that would total around 36-ish miles by the day's end.
If you've never ridden a snowmobile, one especially important feature to learn about is the dead man switch and tether. On our Ski-Doo sleds, it was located center right, with a tether we could either clip to our jackets or wrap around our left wrists while riding.
Why the left wrist and not the right? Because throttle operation is on the right, as with a motorcycle (although it's a thumb switch, so not exactly the same). And you most definitely don't want the tether interfering with your ability to effectively open and close the throttle.
The brake lever is on the left; where a clutch would be on a standard motorcycle, but where a brake might also be on a saddle-type scooter. So, depending on whether you're familiar with riding any other powersports vehicles at all, you might have a different experience saddling up on a snowmobile.
In my group, most of us were snowmobiling beginners. Two riders had some trail-riding experience but were hoping to up their skills at deep powder and backcountry riding techniques. While I've had nearly two decades of motorcycling experience, powersports was all new to my fellow snowmobile beginners.
Still, that's part of the cool thing about an experience like this, especially if you simply join in and aren't the one setting up a big group trip for you and some friends you already know. It's a unique opportunity to meet and learn from other people you've never met before, and maybe make some friends you wouldn't otherwise have met. If you've ever taken any kind of class before, you already have some idea of what it's like. There's just something about both shared experience levels and struggles that brings people together, you know?
And make no mistake: The location is absolutely part of the magic. The Bridger-Teton National Forest is every inch a national treasure—go public lands!—, and don't ever let anyone tell you differently. If you've never been, you owe it to yourself to go. The snow absolutely made it look even more magical, but I'd imagine it's a different kind of beautiful in the warmer months (which I'm told are even busier for tourism in the area).
One thing I should also mention here is that if you, like three of us, live at significantly lower elevation, you definitely want to make sure you have plenty of water, electrolytes, and snacks if you're going to go play in the snow. Thankfully, we had all these things with us and were fine, but altitude can definitely play a role if you're not used to it. Another beginner on this course was from Denver, so she seemed to take it in stride a lot easier than those of us in the low elevation crew.
Still, my advice for you would be to just listen to your body, take breaks as needed, and use your water/electrolytes/snacks as needed. You might get out of breath more easily than any high altitude folks in your group, but please don't let it stop you, because it's so worth it.
Another winter bonus of visiting this area at this time of year is that you'll see wildlife that you apparently won't see in the warmer months. On our way up the mountain, we passed the National Elk Refuge, and were absolutely glued to the windows of our van as we drove up. Why? Because there were a whole bunch of beautiful elk to see!
It was at that point that one of the other members of my group mentioned that she'd visited this part of Wyoming several times before, but she'd never seen any elk before. Thing is, she'd come during the summer, and one of our guides told us about seasonal elk migration patterns, and how they like to come down the mountain in the winter so they have better access to forage. That's why you typically won't see them there during the summer months, because they're up and away from civilization since it's easier for them to find food.
Sadly, I can't show you any photos of the elk, because it was cold enough our windows were seriously iced over. We also saw them quite early in the morning, so the lighting wasn't ideal.
We did meet a couple of moose further up the mountain, though. Thankfully, they weren't mad at us for intruding. This one even posed for me!
It doesn't have to be snowmobiling, either; Uncharted Society offers a number of experiences on various powersports vehicles, so there are a whole lot of options available. I don't know what kind of traveler you are, but I've always been the kind of person who likes to go places to have experiences, not just stay in a hotel room. Wherever I am, I want to go out and do stuff (unless, of course, I have work to do).
If that also describes how you like to travel, then something like what Uncharted Society offers might just be up your alley. Definitely keep it in your back pocket for future consideration when you want to get out of your comfort zone.
