Ross Spoonland's 334-Mile Thursday

Periodically I hear from Ross Spoonland, the uber Arctic Cat snowmobiler who consistently racks up more miles than anyone I know, and whose knack for documenting his travels is second to none.

Last Thursday Ross had another one of his big adventures, logging a whopping 334 miles on a big loop that took him from his home in Park River, ND, to Thief River Falls and back home.

Click to see some really cool pix from his adventure, as well as hearing his set-up for such rides.

Observations on the 2017 Cross-Country Race Season So Far

We're two races into the 2017 USXC race season, and already Team Arctic has shown tremendous strength. If I were a marketing guru, I might even say they've been dominating the terrain.

Click to see what I'm talking about.

Pennsylvania Thunder: The Legend Lives On

Here's a great story about a legendary Arctic Cat from Pennsylvania that was located and saved from the scrap yard, written by Arctic Cat aficionado Glen Mallory.

Tucker Hibbert's 2017 Canterbury Recap

Enjoy this recap video of Team 68's 2017 Canterbury snocross weekend.

NOHRSC Snow Depth Report for Jan. 16, 2017

There's great snow over much of North America. For more detailed analysis of your area, hit the NOHRSC website.

Hunter's Story (In the Words of His Mom and Dad)

At the Wednesday funeral service for his son Hunter, Steve Houle shared with a packed church his family's thoughts and story about Hunter's life.

Click to read parents’ words about their son.

See You Later, Hunter

Click to read about the Hunter Houle that I see.

Visitation and Funeral Information for Hunter Houle

Last Friday, while getting his sled and himself ready for this weekend’s USXC race on Pine Lake in Gonvick, Minn., 18-year-old Hunter Houle suffered a crash on his snowmobile and died a short time later.

For friends and acquaintances that want to celebrate his life and share their love with Hunter’s brothers Lucas, Jeremy and Larry, sister Jenna, his dad Steve and his mom Charlene, there will be a visitation on Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 4-8pm at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Forest Lake, Minn.

As well, Hunter’s funeral is from 10-11am on Wed., Jan. 11, also at Hosanna (9300 Scandia Trail N, Forest Lake, MN 55025).

I have some thoughts I’m going to share about Hunter here on ArcticInsider, but I’m not ready yet.

A Day at Skime Ranch

This past week I was part of a group that spent a day at Skime Ranch, the nearly 4,000-acre cattle farm in Skime, Minn. (yes, seriously) owned by Arctic Cat legend Roger Skime and his wife Bernice.

It was a day of watching Roger be Roger. It was perfect.

Click to see a few pix from the day.

Hello 2017!

Oh man, 2017 started out better than I could imagine, with a 140 mile snowmobile ride on Minnesota's North Shore State Trail with friends.

Either this is going to be the best year ever, or it's all downhill from here?

Regardless, winter is alive and well in Minnesota's arrowhead region. Click to see for yourself.

Q&A with Team Arctic's Zach Herfindahl

Since he burst onto the cross-country scene a handful of years ago, Zach Herfindahl of Eagle River, Wis., has been a veritable juggernaut of speed and success, notching wins at most venues and claiming multiple USXC championship titles along the way.

At the ripe old age of...(wait for it)...20, Zach heads into the 2017 season poised for continued success. This year he paused his college career in order to concentrate on racing full-time. He’s fitter, smarter and presumably faster than ever.

I chatted with the reigning Pro Stock champ about the season, his new Arctic Cat ZR 6000R XC race sled and what he eats for dinner with housemate Logan Christian.

Click to read the interview.

TGIF: The Dec. 30, 2016

I'm thankful for the outstanding riding experiences of the past year.

I'm thankful we've made it through the detours, trail closures and rough patches.

I'm thankful we can still hang onto the handlebars while going WFO into the new year.

And I'm thankful it's the last Friday of 2016.

Two-for-Two: Tucker Hibbert's Race Recap from ISOC Colorado National

I've been diggin' the engine audio on this year's race recap vid's from Tucker Hibbert. Here's the latest edit from his dominating performance at the ISOC National in Winter Park, Colorado, last week.

SPEED Pro-Level High Back Seat Kit from Arctic Cat

Spend much time riding a Wildcat 1000/X? From a comfort standpoint, a pair of High Back seats are probably the most impactful upgrad.

Click to read about the new, premium cockpit items from the new Arctic Cat SPEED line of accessories.

NOHRSC Snow Depth Report for Dec. 27, 2016

Rideable snow within a trailerable distance for most of us. Pretty good for this time of year.

Click HERE for the NOAA site to get every kind of snow depth info you might need.

May You and Yours Have a Genuinely Meaningful Christmas

Wishing you a genuinely meaningful and peaceful Christmas.

God bless.

Rolling with the Big Dogs

This past Tuesday our gang of regulars made VERY last minute plans for a day's ride in southeast Minnesota, where snow depth reports suggested there was just enough white stuff for decent riding.

112 miles, one buried 850 and two disgusting roller-dogs later, I'm here to confirm the reports were correct.

Click to see the evidence.

8 of 19 for Team Arctic at Colorado ISOC Snocross

With 8 wins out of 19 classes, Team Arctic snocross racers left little doubt which brand was the best at the second stop of the ISOC National tour, held in Winter Park, Colorado.

Click for a list of the winners, as well as some quotes from Tucker Hibbert (who crushed it by winning both Pro Open finals in Colorado).

Custom Arctic Cat Wildcat X Build from KICKER/SSV

Check out the sweet custom Arctic Cat Wildcat X build from KICKER/SSV Works featuring their Stage 1 Audio Package.

A 1/4-Mile Tail Stand That Makes Bobby Flame Jealous

This is pretty amazing, and something that Bobby Flame could only dream of.