13 FALL 2019 ISSUE 01 / VOL . 01

SNOWGOER . COM 14

When you have a friendly , capable and professional guide like Greg Wamsley ( left ) with you , go ahead and try your luck carving up the seemingly bottomless Utah powder – he almost seems to enjoy freeing augered-in snowmobiles as he watches people develop their backcountry riding skills in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains . Just remember to tip accordingly !

IT LOOKED LIKE the result of a natural disaster , with vehicles scattered about and stranded motorists wallowing around and seeking help .

Instead of rising flood waters or hurricane force winds , however , the cause of this scene was Utah ’ s famous powdery snow being combined with a bunch of flatland snowmobilers . Several rented snowmobiles were mostly buried on an incline , the result of one driver getting stuck in a narrow spot between some trees , and those directly behind him auguring in because they were following too closely and ran out of options . A couple of others stopped part way up the hill – sinking into the soft snow instead of looping out and waiting at the bottom . A few of us and the guide were the only ones to make it up the incline ; the five sleds in our wake were badly buried .

Some of the western riding newbies in this crowd might have half-expected the savior to arrive on horseback wearing a white cowboy hat . Instead , our Lone Ranger was Greg the Guide , dressed headto-toe in all-black gear , and his steed was a black and orange Summit 800 , much like the stuck machines .