Last night we received our first major winter storm of the season. Here in Elizabeth Colorado we only got about 4” – 6” of snow but the front range received anywhere from 6” – 10”. Looks like it is going to be a Cold ATV Ride for the annual New Years Day ride with the Rocky Mountain Rock Hoppers at Bunce School Road.

Have not been on a ride in quite a while so I am really looking forward to this one, Bunce School Road is always a fun ride. It is going to be a cold ATV ride as temperatures are expected to be in the teens, which with the chill factor we can expect single digit temperatures.

I have been so busy that I have not had time to install my set of grip heaters so I will have to make due with my ATV Mitts, a good pair of mittens and some hand warmers. I will be doing some ATV snow plowing to clear my driveway and my neighbors driveways. Then I need to get the ATV loaded on the trailer and prepped for tomorrows cold ATV ride.

Cold ATV RideIn preparing for a ride like this the cold is my major concern so I will be layering my clothing and wearing a good pair of wool socks and some warm boots. As for the deep snow, I have a Polaris Sportsman 700X2 with a set of 27” Maxis Big Horns and of course an ATV winch.

After loading the ATV on the trailer I will connect the Battery Tender and leave it on overnight to ensure I have a good battery for the ride. I typically have the Battery Tender connected to the ATV while it sits in the shop during the winter months.

For lunch I am planning on taking a thermos with some hot soup and a sandwich along with the usual jerky and trail mix. MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) with the self-heating packets make a great hot lunch on a cold day and are lightweight and easy to pack.

Even with the cold weather it looks like we will have a pretty good turn out, the Rocky Mtn Rock Hoppers are a great bunch to ride with. One of the great things about the Colorado area is there are several ATV groups and clubs to ride with. There is usually some group or club riding every weekend. It does not matter if it is a cold ATV ride or a warm one it is always fun.

Related posts:

  1. ATV Camping in Cold Weather
  2. How to Layer Clothes for Cold Weather