19.   Beater Day came about because the Annual Winter Trip to the Sooley Family Cabin is rapidly approaching and we didn't have means to transport all of our sleds and project sleds at the same time. 

18.   We decided that we would take my Project Invader 440 and Sooley's Enticer 340 to the cabin this weekend and store them in the shed. Since we were driving all the way out we decided to make a day of it so beater day was born!

17.   Sooley, Bill and I headed out over the highway under beautiful sunny skies arriving at the Sooley Family Cabin mid morning. We quickly got the sleds unloaded, the garage opened up and the old Enticer II 410 fired up for Bill to ride.

16.

15.   We spent most of the day cruising the ponds and trails all around the cabin, power line and Highwaters. On my first trip down the hill from the cabin to the pond, my Invader's right ski hit a depression in the snow, threw me off, flipped belly up, and skidded upside down on glare ice for about 50 feet up the pond. I slid along on my rearend just ahead of it! Luckily my clear coated paint job sustained no damage, and bent handle bars were easily straightened. These old sleds are tangly to ride, with only 3" of suspension travel they don't soak up the bumps like a modern sled. If your not paying attention they will bite you!

14.   The terror didn't end there, as we crossed a gully on the way to Highwaters, the Old Enticer threw Sooley off on his back as well!

13.   Even Bill was not left unchecked as later in the day the newer Enticer II pitched him off in fine style!

12.

11.

10.

9.   Later that afternoon French and Maffer arrived. Maffer didn't have his machine with him, and French didn't have a beater sled but brought his usual ride the Yamaha RX-Warrior. Maffer and I decided that technically any Yamaha counts as a beater so that was best kind.

8.

7.   As the sun began to set  we had a Beater Day drag race at the top of Sooley's pond, I was rode my Invader 440, and Maffer piloted Sooley's old Enticer 340. We started on the pole line for better traction and raced across the glare ice on the pond.

6.

5.

4.

3.   Sleds don't stop well on glare ice, I was fast enough to win but collided with the bank on the far side of the pond. Thankfully there was no carnage inflicted on Project Invader.

2.

1.   With darkness setting in we locked up the sleds and headed for home reflecting on another great day at the cabin!

Cheers,  MIKE