I was a little anxious when my boyfriend suggested snowmobiling but now I'm so glad he did... a large part due to Full Throttle!
What he had in mind was self-guided snowmobiling, and this was the only one in Tahoe that offered it, so we called up and booked our appointments. On the day of, we wanted to come early so we called ahead and they said it was no problem. Unfortunately we stopped for breakfast since we were starving and ending up coming a little late. Again, no problem. The guy we worked with, John, was super nice and understanding. He called with his personal number so we were able to reach him without a problem. The only issue was....we kinda of missed the part where we were supposed to meet him at the trailhead and not the office listed on yelp. Not sure if it was the fault of my boyfriend not paying attention when he booked the appointment or the company itself for not being clear, but either way it wasn't a big deal since we were able to talk to John on the phone about it for clarification. And just a reminder, there are two snowmobiling companies on that road! Full Throttle is to the RIGHT if you're coming from the Lake. Made the mistake of going to the left where our "appointment" was met with some major confusion. Oops!
Arrived, talked to John who gave us the run through of the equipment and how stuff worked. Since I came without any gear, I was also able to borrow a helmet, gloves, and goggles. Be warned though, besides the helmet, they don't seem to be fully stocked so if you're coming with a large group, remind people to get their own! I was fine with what they had though...you know, just roughing it! After John gave us a run down of all the trails, we were on our way!
So for snowmobiling itself...awesome!! The trails are slightly confusing but the best part about going self-guided is to EXPLORE! Just remember, flags on the Right = Returning; flags on the Left = Leaving. Pretty basic! We came right after a snow storm so the powder was pretty sweet, with a few mucky spots being the exception. A2 was definitely the best trail of the day so after exploring the other trails, the boyfriend and I just rode back and forth on that one, no problem.
Finished up, paid for our stuff and was good to go. We hung out a little bit afterward because my boyfriend wanted to have "guy talk" with John (i.e. RPMs, jumps, etc etc) and John proved to be very personable, friendly, and knowledgable. I mean, don't expect someone out of the office with strictly trained customer service skills or anything. You can tell, he's just a chill guy doing what he loves and that's all the better.
Finally a few tips I have to offer:
(1) Call ahead for weather conditions! You can actually change the time you're out there (I think) just as long as you tell them before you go (like 2 vs. 3 hour adventure package). They just wanna know ahead of time so they know when to expect you and don't have to come out looking for you. The weather really determines how much time you want out there though!
(2) Remember that they need a deposit for the snowmobile so have your credit card ready! On debit cards, the bank will actually hold your money so CC is best! Just make sure you have that amount ready in your card.
(3) MOST IMPORTANT! I would seriously suggest not riding 2 people to one snowmobile. Sure it's cheaper, but it's not as fun! You can't take as many risks in the front seat with speeds and jumps and the bumps HURT when they come unexpected in the back seat. I paid for the trip this time since it was my boyfriends birthday but I told him straight up, he's paying for his own next time cuz I want my own! I got a need for speed, so get outta my way vroom vroom! :)
So don't be scared, gear up, get out there, and enjoy yourself! read more