Skip to main content

Best Places to Snowmobile You Should Experience at Least Once

Written by Charleen

Best Places to Snowmobile You Should Experience at Least Once

Jamie Gibson|

AMSOIL INC. is located in the heart of snowmobile country – Wisconsin, so we know a thing or two about the best places to snowmobile.

Did you know the snowmobile was invented in Wisconsin? Carl Eliason brought to life his idea of a “motor toboggan” in 1924. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, the upper Midwest is a mecca for devoted sledheads and casual snowmobile enthusiasts alike.

No matter the destination, thousands of miles await sledders eager to hit the snowy terrain. We put together a list of the best places to snowmobile across the Midwest. Read on for more.

Best places to snowmobile in Wisconsin

Eagle River

Known as the “Snowmobile Capital of the World,” Eagle River is home to a 500-mile trail network that is meticulously maintained by local snowmobile clubs and volunteers.

There is breathtaking scenery and an endless supply of local hospitality. There’s a reason it’s been ranked several times as ‘Best of’ in various categories from national publications.

It’s also home to the World Championship Snowmobile Derby that draws thousands of spectators to the region each year.

Before you go, find a full list of area trails here and check out current conditions here.

St. Germain

Connected to Eagle River trails, St. Germain is a natural segue for snow travelers hopscotching throughout the region.

With groomed trails stretching hundreds of miles and a local snowmobile-club-sponsored Trail Patrol, St. Germain offers excellent riding conditions that draw thousands of travelers each year.

Find helpful links on resorts, rentals and trail conditions here.

Cable

Home to one of the largest trail systems in the nation, Cable offers more than 1,200 miles of interconnecting snowmobile routes that weave throughout the Chequamegon National Forest.

It’s known for its quiet and solitude among nature’s best scenery.

Find everything you need to know about this route here.

Iron County

Just along the Michigan border, you’ll find a place that sees an average of 200 inches of snowfall per year, more than 500 groomed trails and 175,000 acres of off-trail forest land.

Along the way you can catch views of 200 lakes within a 30-mile radius among fellow snowmobilers making their way through old mining towns in the region.

Find more info on what Iron County has to offer here.

Buy AMSOIL Snowmobile Products

Best places to snowmobile in Michigan

Upper Peninsula

The U.P. of Michigan has earned legendary status among snowmobile enthusiasts from all over.

With more than 3,000 miles of groomed trails, it’s been voted “Most Scenic,” “Best Powder Riding,” “Best Trail Riding” and “Best Overall Snowmobiling Area” by readers of Snow Goer Magazine.

For those looking to put their skills to the test, it also holds the title of “Most Challenging” for its technical trail offerings.

You can find all things related to planning the perfect Michigan U.P. trip here.

Lake Gogebic

Some call this snowmobile district the best-kept secret in Michigan.

Located in the western U.P., it features hundreds of miles of groomed trails that weave throughout the forest and offer access to scenic overlooks. The route possibilities are endless, whether riders are looking for a day trip or an overnight adventure.

Check out this website for everything you need to know about this picturesque snowmobiling region.

Gaylord

Located in the lower peninsula, Gaylord averages more than 180 inches of snowfall each year and offers more than 300 miles of groomed trails.

It’s also home to the annual Michigan Snowmobile Festival, where fellow enthusiasts unite over runs, music and good family fun.

You can plan your entire trip, including trail maps and live snow cams, right here.

Best places to snowmobile in Minnesota

Brainerd

A starting point of the legendary Paul Bunyan Trail, Brainerd Lakes is a hub to snowmobilers descending on Minnesota looking for a great route.

Covering approximately 120 miles, the Paul Bunyan Trail leads north past the Bemidji, Minn., region with well-groomed trails and several snowmobile-friendly stops along the way.

Find maps, trail markers and all the stops you need to plan for here.

Bemidji

This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Bemidji.

Situated at a crossroads for two of the state’s largest trail-system routes, Bemidji trails can lead riders anywhere in the state they wish to go. There are lakes, streams, bogs and rolling hills that offer beautiful scenery in any terrain.

Plan your route here.

North Shore

Minnesota’s North Shore is well-known for its scenic landscape no matter which method of transportation you’re using.

Snowmobiles are no exception, with well-groomed trails spanning from Duluth to Grand Marais amidst the backdrop of mighty Lake Superior.

Numerous local trails connect to the main state trail so riders can veer off and explore the hidden wonders of backwoods Minnesota.

Right here is where you can find everything you need to start planning a scenic ride through northern Minnesota.

Buy AMSOIL Snowmobile Products

Best places to snowmobile in North and South Dakota

South Dakota Badlands and Black Hills

A little farther West is an up-and-coming snowmobile hub in the state of South Dakota amidst the scenic Badlands and Black Hills region.

More than 350 miles of marked and groomed trails await travelers seeking a journey through canyons, caves, forests and summit overlooks. Plenty of meadows for ideal powder riding surround the beaten path, with snowmobile-friendly pit stops scattered throughout.

SnoWest Magazine and SuperTrax International ranked the Black Hills snowmobile trail system as one of the top 10 places to ride.

Check out trail conditions and more here.

Spearfish Canyon

Spearfish Canyon is worthy of its own mention despite it being just north of the aforementioned Black Hills region.

In fact, sledders could easily make this their start or end point on a Black Hills tour.

This spot has produced loyal fans who return each year for the scenery, world-class lodging and a glimpse of the filming locations for the classic film “Dances with Wolves.”

In our research, Spearfish Canyon came up several times as the premier place in South Dakota to create your snowmobile adventure.

You’ll find what you need to start planning here.

North Dakota

North Dakota offers 13 trails of groomed terrain spanning more than 2,800 miles throughout the state.

You can also glimpse another piece of Hollywood history by stopping at the home of the original wood chipper from the cult-classic movie “Fargo.”

Check out a full trail list and riding conditions throughout the state here.

Buy AMSOIL Snowmobile Products
Snowmobile, , , , ,

How to Prevent Diesel Fuel From Gelling

Written by Charleen

Preventing Diesel Fuel Gelling – Off Season Update

Take advantage of the off season pricing here in the Sioux Falls store!! Here’s one product you will need in winter. Save even more buying now. (Products: Diesel All in One and the Diesel Cold Flow)

Mark Nyholm|

We diesel burners get a little more uptight in the winter over what comes out of the green-handle pump at the fuel station. Diesel owners know that winter can mean diesel fuel gelling. That’s when diesel fuel freezes, rendering our trucks useless and, in some situations, costing us a boatload of money in repairs.

In this post, I’m going to explain why diesel fuel can gel or become frozen and what you can do to prevent it and keep your truck rolling all winter.

What causes diesel fuel gelling?

Diesel contains naturally occurring wax that solidifies in cold temperatures. Normally the wax is a liquid in fuel and is important, so we definitely want it in the fuel.

When temperatures drop, however, wax crystals form and cling to one another.

As temperatures continue to decrease, formation continues until it restricts the flow of fuel through fuel filters, eventually stalling the engine. Depending on the fuel, gelling can occur at temperatures barely below 32ºF (0ºC).

Check out the video to see what happens when diesel fuel gels.

 

video
play-sharp-fill

 

#1 and #2 diesel fuel

The fuel refineries do a pretty good job of blending winter-rated diesel fuel that avoids gelling. To produce winter-blend diesel, they often mix some percentage of #1 diesel fuel with #2 diesel fuel.

Why, you ask? Because diesel #1 contains less wax and offers cloud and pour points of typically -20ºF (-29ºC) or colder, making it preferable in cold weather.

Cold-filter-plugging point (CFPP) & other terms

So, what do “cloud point” and “pour point” mean, anyway? They’re a couple important terms people use when talking about diesel cold-weather performance.

  • Cloud point – The temperature at which wax crystals begin to form in diesel fuel. This is normally around 32ºF (0ºC) for #2 diesel fuel, but can be as high as 40ºF (4ºC).
  • Cold-filter-plugging point (CFPP) – The point at which wax crystals allowed to form in untreated diesel fuel clog the fuel filter. Most diesel owners call this “gelling.”
  • Pour point – The lowest temperature at which fuel maintains its ability to flow.

The ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) at every pump must meet certain CFPP characteristics to protect drivers.

However, refiners typically base the fuel’s cold-weather performance on temperature projections that don’t leave room for sudden and violent temperature swings. Where I live in northern Minnesota, the temperature can drop from 40ºF (4ºC) at lunch time to zero by the time I head home after work.

It’s possible the fuel at the station where I plan to fill up the next morning doesn’t yet have fuel blended for such cold temperatures.

Or, how about the trucker who starts a run in Kansas City, where it’s 50ºF (10ºC) and he filled up with #2 diesel, but ends in Duluth, Minn., where it’s -10ºF (-23ºC)? Then what?

Use cold-flow improvers to prevent diesel fuel gelling

Let’s be proactive and turn the mirror on ourselves. There is chemistry available that ensures the wax in your fuel stays liquid so your fuel system can pump fuel to the engine. We call these additives “cold-flow improvers,” and AMSOIL Diesel All-In-One is loaded with them to ensure you don’t run into these issues.

In the fuel industry there is a test called the “Cold-Filter-Plugging-Point Test.” It measures the coldest temperature at which fuel will flow without plugging a filter.

In independent testing, AMSOIL Diesel All In One provides as much as 32ºF better protection against cold-temperature diesel fuel gelling than Howes Lubricator Diesel Treat*? You know – Howes, one of the largest diesel fuel additive companies in the U.S.

Howes diesel additive is substandard in cold flow protection.

 

Diesel All-in-One ensures the fuel remains flowing and your truck keeps rolling no matter how frigid the weather.

Some might say, “That doesn’t matter…Howe’s has a free-tow guarantee that’ll cover me if I’m ever stranded.” That’s no guarantee; that’s an insurance policy, and they hope not to use it. If you want a real guarantee, use AMSOIL Diesel Cold Flow to ensure you don’t have to call for a tow.

Plus, it doesn’t just give you optimum chemistry for cold weather. Oh, no sir/ma’am. It also delivers…

  • Optimum detergency to help keep the fuel injectors and combustion chamber clean
  • Lubricity to lubricate the fuel pump and injectors
  • A four-point cetane boost to provide extra help at startup and improve combustion efficiency for improved power and fuel economy
Diesel All-In-OneBuy Diesel All-in-One

If it’s gelled, now what?

Clogged filters and frozen diesel are a huge hassle, especially for truckers or fleets that needs vehicles running to make money.

AMSOIL Diesel Recovery quickly dissolves gelled fuel to allow the operator to continue driving with minimal downtime. AMSOIL Diesel Recovery separates the molecular bonds of wax crystals that have agglomerated in diesel fuel. It thaws frozen fuel filters and reduces the need for a new filter, saving money and preventing an inconvenient trip to an auto parts store.

Buy Diesel Recovery

*Based on independent testing in July 2017 of AMSOIL Diesel All-in-One and Howes Lubricator Diesel Treat using diesel fuel representative of the U.S. marketplace and Howes’ recommended treat ratio for above 0°F.

Tech Articles, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Worldwide Reputation – AMSOIL President Column

Written by Charleen

From the President – AMSOIL HQ in Superior, WI

Last winter I was riding snowmobile with a group of friends in northern Wisconsin. We stopped for a break and another snowmobiler came in wearing a red AMSOIL Racing Jersey (G3537). I struck up a conversation with him and we talked about snowmobiles, riding and AMSOIL. I told him how AMSOIL sold that jersey for a while, but it had been unavailable for years. AMSOIL reintroduced the jersey after a popular contestant on China’s version of “America’s Got Talent” wore it on that show. Suddenly demand from China for that jersey skyrocketed. I never revealed who I was or how he basically had my name emblazoned on his chest. It was an interesting conversation and I was happy to hear an unfiltered opinion of my company and its products.

More Lucas and Sea Foam Comparison Testing

Reputation is important to me. It is earned, not given. It takes years to develop and almost nothing to destroy. Under the right circumstances, even untrue rumors can ruin solid reputations. Fortunately, AMSOIL has a rocksolid reputation, and we go above and beyond to keep it that way. For most customers, that starts with our products. AMSOIL products are the best in the world. I could not be more proud of that. We compete against the biggest companies in the world, and our products come out on top. Our products do what we say they’ll do. This month we’re introducing a new product, AMSOIL Upper Cylinder Lubricant. Once again, the competition isn’t up to par. In fact, Sea Foam,* one of the most recognized fuel-additive brands, and Lucas,* the leading seller of upper cylinder lubricant, are ineffective. They’re no good. And we’re going to show you the proof.

That’s no way to treat customers, and that’s no way to do business. It’s personal for me – it is my name on the bottle. I would not do anything to damage my reputation, and I respect your reputation. You represent AMSOIL in the field and it is your word that sells AMSOIL products. You can be confident that you are representing a company that has integrity. You can be proud to wear the AMSOIL logo every day. I know I am. Plus, you never know who will ask you about it or what type of business it could lead to. We introduced a completely new clothing line in the spring and we’ve got several new items coming out this fall, including the recently released snowmobile jacket.

Speaking of snowmobiling, if you haven’t visited your retail accounts that carry our snowmobile products, now is the time. If you live in the south or don’t have accounts that carry those products, the new Upper Cylinder Lubricant and the updated pricing information are also perfect reasons to pay your accounts a visit. We provided new printed price lists to every active commercial and retail account. A follow-up visit from you could be just what they need to spark that next order.

Al Amatuzio, , , ,

Steps To Maintain Your Snowblower – Things to Know

Written by Charleen
Leave a Comment

Never Overlook This When Maintaining Your Snowblower

John Baker|

Thanksgiving day, 2016. While my family was gathered in my dining room, imbibing spirits and making merry, I was in the shed disassembling the carburetor on my snowblower, reeking of petroleum as rivers of gasoline flowed under my jacket cuffs and saturated me to the elbows.

Here’s what happened, and here’s how to avoid it.

Snowblower maintenance can be distilled to this Golden Rule: Maintain your fuel system.

I’ll say it again: Maintain your fuel system.

A snowblower that won’t start is almost always due to a fuel problem. And nothing raises your blood pressure like a dead snowblower following the season’s first snowstorm. You know it! We always wait to the last minute on that first snow.

Preventing fuel-system problems starts in the spring prior to storage.

Leave the carburetor full of gas

This is where everything unraveled for me. One theory says that shutting off the fuel line and running the engine until the carburetor empties helps prevent varnish that plugs the jets and prevents starting.

Wrong, at least in my case. As I discovered, leaving the carburetor empty and exposed to air hastens oxidation and varnish. Fluctuating temperatures and humidity throughout the summer invite varnish, and it doesn’t take much to plug the tiny orifices in a carburetor. Then, it’s just a matter of time before you’re stinking of gasoline on Thanksgiving day while blasting carb cleaner on everything within reach.

Instead, add fuel stabilizer at the end of the season, run the engine for a few minutes to distribute the treated gas throughout the system, then shut down the engine. Now you can shut off the fuel line for the summer. The treated fuel in the carburetor bowl provides protection and helps keep components clean.

Some people claim you should run the carburetor empty since the gas will evaporate anyway. That may be true, but evaporation takes time, and the carburetor will at least be protected in the interim.

Stabilize the gas

As mentioned, treat gas with stabilizer prior to storage. Stabilized fuel protects against oxidation and varnish throughout the summer.

Use ethanol-free gas

When water infiltrates your gas tank in the form of melted snow, it can cause phase separation, a phenomenon that occurs when the bond between ethanol (present in most gasoline sold today) and gasoline breaks. When this ethanol/water mixture enters the combustion chamber, it creates a lean-burn situation that can damage your engine.

For best performance, use 91-octane, non-oxygenated (ethanol-free) gas. Many gas stations offer non-oxygenated gas and advertise it for powersports and off-road use. It’s a little more expensive, but spending a few extra dollars a winter to help your $1,000 dollar machine run strong isn’t a factor, in my opinion. At the very least, use ethanol-free gas during storage to help ward off phase separation.

Perhaps test your gas to see if it is really and truly ethanol free. I know many who say “I never use ethanol” and after testing the source gasoline it turned out to be laced with ethanol! Put your gas in a glass jar and see if you see it separate over time. Sometime you need to shake it up.

(Find out how to fight ethanol problems in small engines.)

If you use ethanol-blended gas, consider continuous use of a fuel additive, such as AMSOIL Quickshot, formulated to address ethanol-related performance issues.

Change The Oil in the Spring

Used oil contains acids that can slowly corrode metal components. Prior to storage, change the oil to remove acidic byproducts and ensure maximum protection throughout the summer. After changing oil, I like to run the engine for a couple minutes to distribute oil throughout the lower end of the engine.

Fog the engine

Use fogging oil to protect the upper end (cylinder, piston, valves) from corrosion during storage. Remove the spark plug, which provides the perfect time to inspect its condition, and spray a little oil into the cylinder. Slowly pull the starter cord a few times to distribute the oil, then replace the plug.

Check the gear housing – It can fail!

Clean any debris from around the filler port on the auger gear housing, remove the plug and ensure the gear lube level is up to the top. If not, add the correct lubricant (check your owner’s manual for viscosity).

Inspect belt condition and linkages

Stressing a worn belt after it’s sat idle for months is a recipe for a breakdown. When a belt does break, it’s often while clearing the first big snowfall of the year. Spring is the prime time to check the condition of drive belts and linkages. It’s much easier and far more comfortable to crawl around your snowblower on a mild, spring day than in the winter.

One final word of advice: Keep an eye on the weather at the start of winter. When the forecast calls for the first snowstorm of the season, start your snowblower a few days early to ensure it’s ready to go.

That gives you plenty of time if your snowblower won’t start – like about two hours on Thanksgiving day – to fix any problems.

Maintenance, , , , , , , , ,