I'm thankful that teaching you how to drive the snowmobile has brought us closer together.

I'm thankful we stumbled upon the stashed fuel in the middle of this wilderness.

I'm thankful our preparation for this year's Alaskan Irondog race is going so smoothly.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, November 22, 2013.

I spent last Thursday and Friday at my favorite place in the world: Arctic Cat.

Click to see some of the stuff that was going on those two days.

I'm thankful for that "top-of-the-world" feeling I get from being with you.

I'm thankful that, when the snowmobile breaks down, we still have each other.

I'm thankful for the warmth, protection and mysterious confidence that comes from always wearing goggles.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Nov. 15, 2013.

Last season, Team Arctic’s Zach Herfindahl burst into the USXC cross-country Pro class like a tornado through a trailer park, upending the status quo en route to four class wins, multiple podium finishes and a cat’s whisker from winning the Pro 600 Championship.

It might have been the most impressive Pro debut in a generation, especially considering he turned 17 halfway through the season!

Click to read what he says about his amazing 2013 season, his background and his goals for 2014.

From VintageSleds.com:

...“How did it ever get out of Arctic Cat?”

With Larry’s statements, one of the biggest, most important questions about what happened to one of the winningest Cats in SnoPro history was answered...

The 1976 Arctic Cat Sno Pro and Team Arctic's Larry Coltom were an awe-inspiring combination to a generation of snowmobile fans. But what happened to the famed sleds that Coltom and his teammates piloted that Championship-winning season?

CLICK HERE for a jump to VintageSleds.com to read a cool story about one of them.

In Part II of the interview with Brian Dick, the Arctic Cat engineer-racer talks about which of the 2014 snowmobiles he'd pick for certain riding conditions, and Roger Skime.

Click for the remainder of this month's interview.

I'm thankful for the wonderful period of early 1970s, when there were no rules for what a snowmobile "should be."

I'm thankful for snowmobile designs that don't require the use of a helmet, allowing for more stylish headwear options.

I'm thankful that no sober person would actually consider driving a Ridgerunner on a ridge.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Nov. 8, 2013.

Cut from the same cloth as Kirk Hibbert, Larry Coltom, Roger Skime and many others, Arctic Cat's Brian Dick blends equal parts "racer" and "engineer" in his role as High Performance Product Team Leader.

Click to read Part I of this interview with him, in which he discusses the highs and lows of last race season.

With the ramping up of winter comes the much-anticipated increase in entertaining Craigslist snowmobile posting.

This week offers three excellent examples from Arctic Cat owners in the Twin Cities.

Click to enjoy.

I'm thankful for the extra flotation provided by today's long-track snowmobiles.

I'm thankful for snowmobile dress code.

I'm thankful for the tireless promotion of snowmobiling by individuals, dealers, clubs and the industry.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, November 1, 2013.

Trick or Treat?

Treat!

Happy Halloween!

UPDATED with a few pumpkin pix. Click to see.

The accumulation of photos is an ongoing situation here at HQ, to the point that I might soon have to buy my first external hard drive because the Commodore 64 will have reached its capacity.

Until that happens, I'm reprising the monthly Random Photo Essay so that you too can enjoy some of the lesser-seen sights in the world of Arctic Cat.

Click for some randomness.

I'm thankful that snowmobilers come in all stripes.

I'm thankful for rider-forward... triangulated/pyramidal wheel placement... over-the-engine steering and snowmobiles designed specifically for the knees down style of riding that's popular among today's sledders.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Oct. 25, 2013.

There was a nice dusting of snow in Thief River Falls, Minn., this morning, adding the perfect highlights to the sign that hangs at Arctic Cat.

Thanks to Mandi Hibbert for capturing and sending the image.

No doubt, the coolest aspect of producing ArcticInsider is meeting people who have a passion for Arctic Cat. I never anticipated it when I launched this place four years ago, but this website often works as an electronic introduction to great people that I probably would not have met otherwise.

Scott Watters is one such person I've met this past year, both via the site and in-person. He lives on the northeast side of the Twin Cities, where he restores, rides and takes great pride in a fleet of sweet Arctic Cats.

Click to see them.

I'm thankful the inventive spirit is alive and well in Shop/Industrial Arts classes at high schools throughout the world.

I'm thankful for the natural transition from bicycles to snowmobiles.

I'm even thankful for the answers to questions that nobody has asked.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Oct. 18, 2013.

Saturday marked what has become an Annual gathering of Arctic Cat fans at the Zedshed, a barn-turned-Arctic-Cat-museum on the outskirts of New Richmond, Wis.

Amazing sleds, fantastic people and conversations about all-things Arctic Cat... it was the best place in the world that I could be on a cold, blustery day in October.

Click to read about it.

I'm thankful that on Feb. 7, 1982, then-40-year-old Marv Jorgenson essentially straddled a 250 hp, 1325-cc Kawasaki motorcycle engine and pulled the trigger.

I'm thankful that, instead of blowing Marv to the moon, this snowmobile rocketed down the 1/4-mile ice straight in Rice Lake, Wis., to record a new snowmobile world speed record of 142.6 mph.

I'm thankful that some people have truly monstrous kahunas.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Oct. 11, 2013.

"All the bells and whistles that man has yet devised to fit a snowmobile, converge in appropriate reality in this machine."

Yes, that's just one of the juicy bits you'll hear when you click on the media player below and listen to the 1-min. radio ad for the 1980 Arctic Cat Pantera and Trail Cat.

Click the link to see a couple more images.

This weekend I joined about 500-700 enthusiasts at the Country Cat Open House in Sauk Centre, Minn., to usher in the season.

Man, do I love an Open House, especially one that includes all the right ingredients: conversation, deals, movies, pork sandwiches, kids and plenty of seat time.

Click to see what I'm talking about.