63 WINTER 2021 ISSUE 02 / VOL . 02 SNOWGOER . COM 64
The Endless Playgrounds Of CHAMA
High County Paradise
I actually continued my drive north that afternoon into Colorado toward the relative metropolis of Pagosa Springs ( population : 1,591 ), where I was warmly welcomed into the home of Bobby and Lisa Unser . Yes , that Bobby Unser . Nobody was better suited to show me around the Chama backcountry than the three-time Indianapolis 500 and 13-time Pikes Peak Hillclimb champion . He and his extended racing family have owned big ranches in the area for 40-plus years , and have been snowmobiling there just as long . In fact , snowmobile historians know that Bobby and his brother Al developed snowmobiles and snowmobile suspension in the 1970s and 1980s , with much of the testing done here in Chama .
Bobby showed me around his Pagosa Springs home , including a tour of his workshop where he still works on sleds to this day , then we grabbed a late meal with he , Lisa and our mutual friends , Dick and Audrey Decker of Decker Sno- Venture Tours , before calling it a night in anticipation of the next day ’ s ride .