Alaskan Sledding

Being born and raised in Alaska there are a number of things that I have been able to experience that many "typical" Americans never have the opportunity to live through. Snow is one thing that some states never seem to see, but this winter we have seen that the unexpected can happen and snow can be seen throughout all the 50 states. While snow is something that may have fallen in a number of places where it isn't normally seen, the chance to go snowmachining is something that many people could not do on the snow that fell. The term snowmachining is one that makes my smile, because when talking to people from the continental US there are often confused looks on people when using such a term as snowmachining. Some people may shrug it off and not inquire about it, while others reply with a confused remark and awkward facial expression. Living in Alaska we often use the term snowmachining, but others know the sport as snowmobiling. While this may be true, still other Alaskans call this sort of recreation sledding. No matter what your terminology may be, the activity of going out in the outdoors and shredding some powder is something that I wish everyone could experience. The photo above is of a newer model machine and to me it looks like some sort of bug. While the front end may look a little weird, in all reality these machines can do some major damage if not handled with care. Whether it be snowmobiling, snowmachining, or sledding, all these words really boil down to the same thing....fun!