Bobsled run

[DaveM]

Hi Pete,

Hey, that looks great and has to be a blast!

We don't have a lot of cleared land and our best hills are in the woods. I found a great sled last year made in VT. Have you seen one of these <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madriverrocket.com/>http://www.madriverrocket.com/</A>? They're really made for use in powder put if your run was "closed" enough you might be able to use it there too. You kneel in them, sort of like kayaking and as long as your're in powder they're very maneuverable. Pretty exciting as you carve your way down thru the trees!

Dave

 

[Boondox]

Dave -- We tried a rocket, but you're right -- they're much better in powder! Wild ride, but absolutely no steering on packed stuff or ice! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

If this was not a tourist town I'd be willing to extend the bobsled run another half a mile thru the forest to the top of our hill, but liability concerns and the sheer idiocy of some unwanted visitors forced me to limit the run to an area I have visual control over.

I guess it shows that tourism isn't exactly my favorite institution, huh? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Pete

 

[DaveM]

I hear ya Pete. Next thing you'd know someone from MA would be blocking your driveway and using your bobsled run. Heck, they'd probably use your sled too. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Dave

 

[SmokyMtnMan]

ok, i'm curious......i have just the right terrain and space for one of those here in mts. of western NC.....just don't have the snow yet...usually we'll get a couple of good ones though in Feb or early March...about all my bones can take anyway, but i'm wondering.......uh.......have you got a 'ski-lift' designed yet? some kind of rope tow.......good use for the Farmi Wench maybe?

 

[hayden]

I tried my winch on a sled run. My kids loved it, but it didn't make sense to me. Regardless, they had fun which is what counts.

The problem is how to get the winch cable down the hill so you can then winch someone back up. They ended up holding the cable and dragging is down behind them on the sled. I had to help pay out the cable to minimize the drag so they'd get a good run.

We've talked about a line that runs down the hill to a pully then back up. You could pull on the line to haul the cable down the hill, then winch is all back, kids and all.

 

[John_Mc]

<font color=blue>good use for the Farmi Wench maybe? </font color=blue>

If I had a Farmi "Wench" I could think of better uses for her than pulling me back up the slope./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Though my wife might not appreciate the "extracurricular" activity.

 

[Boondox]

With the curves built into the course, there's no way I could use the winch. Way too long anyway. So what I did was start the run near the road, bank off the pond's berm, then the chicken coop and log pile, and curve back toward the road at the end. So the Wife (Wench) sleds down and I drive the ATV down the road to pick her up. Works for us!

Pete

 

[Thomas]

By the sounds you could use a small rope tow setup,maybe in the lines of a small motor w/a gear reduction transmission.
The next I visit the old skiway I snap a photo of JD w/a belt running of the side pto to a tire rim that driven from the pto,and at the end of the sled or ski run another tire rim setup to return the rope.
Its a home made device and works will,except if one get tangle up in the rope. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Ian6432]

This is really neat! Would love to get something like this going!