Show Notes
On Episode 56, we talk to Wisconsin snowmobilers, Erica Marten and Jen Marcott-Bong, founders of the female-focused Facebook Group “Wisco Sled Divas” connecting women who love to ride. Erica and Jen share some of their best tips, tricks and snowmobiling stories – including what to pack, favorite trails and how you can make the most of your next ride.
Since safety is an important part of the ride, the Wisconsin DNR reminds all snowmobilers to think smart before they start.
Learn more about staying safe on Wisconsin’s trails:
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/Education/OutdoorSkills/safetyEducation
Find the Wisco Sled Divas Facebook Group, here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiscosleddivas --------------------------------------
TRANSCRIPT
ANNOUNCER: [
00:00:00] Welcome to Wisconsin DNR's Wild Wisconsin "Off the Record" podcast. Information straight from the source.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:00:13] Welcome back to another episode of Wild Wisconsin Off the Record. I'm your host DNR's Digital Communication Section Chief Katie Grant. Did you know that the sport of snowmobiling started right here in the Badger state. Over the years interest in this hobby has grown exponentially and now more than 200,000 registered snowmobiles hit our 25,000 miles of groomed trails each winter. We just finished up International Snowmobile Safety week. While much of the state is still waiting for trails to open. We are doubling down on all things snowmobiling and encouraging you to think smart, before you start. Remember the basics. Don't drink and ride. Always wear a helmet and stay on marked trails.
Need a refresher on snowmobile safety and the laws in Wisconsin? You can find them at dnr.wi.gov. In this episode we chat with Erica Marten from McFarland and Jen Marcott-Bong from Phillips. These two are friends and co-founders of a new female focused Facebook group called Wisco Sled Divas. They started the group this past November, and it's growing rapidly. Consider it a virtual space for fellow riders to connect, share information and support one another. Erica and Jen share some of their best tips and tricks. Including what to pack, favorite trails and how you can make the most out of your next ride. So sit back and listen in.
Allright, so welcome to the show, Jen and Erica. Uh, why don't you guys go ahead and get us started off by just telling us a little bit about who you are and what it is that you do and Erica, we will go ahead and start with you.
ERICA MARTEN: [
00:02:05] Great. Thanks. My name is Erica Marten. I am in McFarland, Wisconsin and I am currently a recruitment specialist at UW Madison.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:02:17] Fantastic. And Jen how about you?
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:02:20] Um, so my name is, uh, Jen Marcott- Bong and I live in Phillips, Wisconsin and I am a Director of HR for a, um, global manufacturing company.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:02:34] Awesome. And how did you guys meet? Being, you know, in separate parts of the state.
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:02:40] So I used to live in the Madison area. Um, I just recently moved to Phillips about, well, I shouldn't say recently about five years ago I moved here and Erica and I used to work together.
Um, so we worked at a, uh, a recruiting company in Madison and that's how we got to know each other. And then our husbands became BFFs as well.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:03:01] Those are always the best kinds of friendships. How did you guys get into snowmobiling then?
ERICA MARTEN: [
00:03:08] Um, well, um, my parents bought our family a Yamaha snowmobile when I was in high school. Um, and it was something my dad and I could bond on because I wasn't really the tomboy. I was the girly girl in the family. Um, and that quickly became one of my favorite things to do in the winters because it was fast. Um, but it was also fun. And unfortunately I kind of lost touch with it during college. Priorities changed.
Um, but my husband got back into it a few years ago, thanks to Jen's husband um, and I was able to make my re-entry, um, with his hand me down sled at the time. And it kinda just brought back all those memories from high school, how fun it was, um, and how great... It's a great way to get out, um, take in the scenery and be active in the winter months.
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:04:05] For me a very kind of similar story. Um, grew up in a snowmobiling family. We, as a young kid, we actually had a cabin on Solberg Lake, which is in Phillips, um, so spent most of my winter weekends in Phillips, um, snowmobiling with my family. And, um, I just kind of learned to really enjoy it because I come from a family of mostly boys.
So I was kind of a tomboy as well. And, um, similar story in the sense of got out of it when I went to college, had to sell my snowmobile cause you know, poor college student and um, when I met my husband, he um, for lack of better terms is obsessed with it. Um, and so got back into it because it was something he really enjoyed and it was something we could do together.
And my brothers were still snowmobiling, so we kind of became a family thing again and kind of like Erica, I remembered how much fun it was. Being out of it for so long.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:05:03] What is each of your favorite things about snowmobiling?
ERICA MARTEN: [
00:05:07] Um, I'd say that when, when you're out, you're truly among friends because everybody is out there for the same reason. Um, you get to see new places, making new memories, but just in a completely different way. You're not stuck in the car. You're actually out on a sled taking it all in. And there's um, you know, I think is... Jen and I have both found there's a true sense of community with snowmobiling. Um, and that's, that's what makes it really enjoyable.
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:05:40] I would agree. Um, you know, I really enjoy just that aspect of, of getting out and seeing new places. And I think a lot of times when we go out snowmobiling, we have some sort of destination, whether it's, uh, a landmark or a new town or something that we possibly haven't been to before, just to kind of get out and explore and you know, meet new people. And it's something fun that we get to do with our friends and, and, uh, meet new people along the way.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:06:07] Very cool. That sense of comradery, uh, I think is something that we keep coming back to on this podcast when it comes to so many of the things that you can do in Wisconsin's outdoors, whether it is snowmobiling or fishing or hunting or whatever it may be. So it's really cool to hear that kind of carry through here. What are some of your favorite trails, uh, to ride in Wisconsin?
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:06:30] So I'm partial to the trails in Price County, mainly because that's what I grew up on. I grew up riding them, having a cabin on Solberg Lake and now that I live in Price County that's where most of our riding is done.
So for me, um, there's, there's a lot of different types of trails. Um, you know, they can, you find really winding stretches that are kind of fun to drive on. Then you have some really nice straightaways where you can go faster. You have a lot of lakes where you can kind of, um, go faster. So I like the variety. So for me, it's Price County.
ERICA MARTEN: [
00:07:02] I would actually have to say the same. Um, my husband and I like to take it on the road if we can. Um, cause we like to experience trails outside of our immediate area here in Madison. Um, so more times than that, we ended up by Jen and her husband in Phillips, um, and take advantage of their local trails. Um, and then we also make our way up to the UP as many do, um, to take advantage of their trail system as well. But, um, but we like to head north for sure.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:07:33] And I feel like in most years that's a generally a safe bet based on snow cover but not necessarily this year.
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:07:41] No, unfortunately this year it's super sad. Um, we really are hoping for more snow and doing our snow dances to, to get more snow, but it's not coming.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:07:54] When you guys do get ready to go on these kind of trips, whether it's you know, Jen for you locally in Price County or Erica, you're going to visit, or do you guys are going to the UP or other parts of Wisconsin, what, what are your must-haves that you make sure you bring with you um, for the trips on the sleds, you know, staying warm, those sort of things?
ERICA MARTEN: [
00:08:18] Sure. Um, we always have a GPS and our cell phones ready to go. Um, both of our sleds are actually equipped with a charger so we can make sure that our cell phones stay charged.
Um, and as many snowmobilers have probably learned the hard way a spare drive belt is also pretty important to take with. Um, and then we also take water and snacks just in case the ride ends up being a little longer, maybe than we thought. Um, depending on how cold it is, um, always wear a base layer and, or a mid-layer under my bibs and coat.
Um, moisture-wicking socks are really important to make sure your feet stay dry and warm. Um, a good pair of gloves, um, an appropriate weight balaclava and of course a helmet. Um, those are some of my key things.
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:09:20] Um, to add to that. Um, you know, we, we try to prepare for any situation that we might come across. So I always try to take some extra stuff. Um, like extra gloves or extra socks just in case something gets wet because you never know what's going to happen. Um, and I found over the years that I really don't like having, you know, wet gloves and socks because it makes everything really, really cold. Um, the other thing that, um, Erica had talked about having, you know, GPS and a cell phone just because we use that to help navigate trails and things of that nature, but we always make sure that we also have a paper map in our snow sleds.
Um, just because there are some areas, especially as the farther north you get that you might not get really good service. So, always good to have the most up-to-date map. And, um, lots of times a lot of establishments will have paper maps too that you can just get for like a dollar and all that money will go back to your, the local clubs that maintain those trails.
That's a good way to also support, you know, the local clubs that are out there, but, um, And I think the other thing is, is whenever we prepare for, for going out is just making sure, um, that you do kind of that once over with your sled to make sure that there's nothing loose or, you know, um, that might come off and leave you stranded in the middle of the woods someplace.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:10:43] Yeah, the stranded in the middle of the woods someplace situation would not be super great in some of these areas.
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:10:49] Yeah. Been there, done that. Many times, especially when we were younger and you know, the older sleds or not... weren't as reliable as the ones that are now. There's lots of times where I can remember as a kid we had to truck back to the road, you know, wherever that was with my dad and, and, uh, find somebody we could call and mom had to come pick us up in the car and all that fun stuff. So...
KATIE GRANT: [
00:11:14] We found you guys through, um, a Facebook group actually that we stumbled upon called Wisco Sled Divas. Uh, you guys recently started the Facebook group. Can you tell us a little bit about what it is, who's in it and what inspired you to start the group?
ERICA MARTEN: [
00:11:30] Sure. Wisco Sled Divas is a Facebook based community for women riders here in Wisconsin. Um, Jen and I wanted to give fellow women riders a place to go to share their experiences, accomplishments, ask questions, certainly meet new friends, um, and just be supportive of each other along the way. Um, and we, we also, um, sold some apparel because we were being asked Hey, do you have shirts or stickers or something so that when we're out and about we can recognize, um, our fellow riders and group members, um, and kind of take that community from Facebook actually out into Wisconsin. Um, and the profits from the apparel were going, um, right back to the association... Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs. Um, because we want to make sure that we're giving back to the organization that helps preserve snowmobiling here in Wisconsin.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:12:40] Very cool. So how has the group grown since it started and what's kind of your vision for where it might go in the future?
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:12:48] Um, I, I think, you know, I can speak for both of us where this group has really kind of exceeded our expectations at this point. You know, when we first started out with this it was just something, you know fun for Erica and I do to get to know some more female riders in Wisconsin and we thought, okay, maybe we're going to get like, you know, 50 members and, you know, we're approaching 300 members and we never had the intention of having the whole apparel thing or anything of that nature.
And it's just been great to see how well-received the group has been. And, you know, um, we've talked about, you know, maybe in the future we can do you like a Wisco, um, like group ride or something of that nature where we can all get together and it's just the group of ladies, um, from the Facebook page that get together and we go snowmobiling, you know, for the weekend or something of that nature.
And, you know, maybe we do something like that on top of, with a top that off with a fundraiser that goes back to a snowmobiling organization or something of that nature. But I think at this point, um, we're still kind of surprised that it has taken off is as much as it has.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:14:03] It's very cool what you guys are doing to bring that community together, especially in a time, like right now where, you know, COVID has us not seeing those, those people that we're used to seeing in person. Um, so getting that started virtually and building that community virtually I think is really, really cool.
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:14:22] And it's been great to see like, there's been so many people who have shared, like where do they go riding? Or, you know, those types of things. And I'm so shocked like how many people will come up to Phillips and they stay like, three blocks from my house and I probably have ran into them, but yet I've never known them before.
And it's just, it's neat to see that and just see where, where they're going and the experiences that they're having and, and those types of things. And, and again, it's... I almost feel like it's a great environment just for women just because it is a male dominated sport. And there's lots of times where women don't feel like they, they can go and do these things on their own.
Um, and it's kind of another reason why we wanted to start the group of just, you know, showing that there's a lot of women who love the sport too. And it's not just for the guys.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:15:12] Definitely. That is a really good point. And, and creating that community, um, where you guys can, can come together and do that and see how small of a world it actually is, is really cool. How about a favorite or most memorable snowmobiling story from each of you?
ERICA MARTEN: [
00:15:30] So I'll share one from my childhood. So, um, like I said, I've been, I've been snowmobiling pretty much my whole life. I think the first time I was around a snowmobile on a trail was like, I was probably like three.
Um, so I snowmobiled all the time and I always rode with my dad and there was, we always went out with my cousins and my, my uncle and my mom would go occasionally and so would my aunt. But it was usually, it was like, me and boys. And, um, I liked to fall asleep on the snowmobile when I was younger. And so I would always like fall asleep when I've sat in front of my dad.
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:16:06] But one of the first times where I was too tall to now sit in front of him I had to sit behind him. And on the way home I fell asleep and I fell off the back of it, um, off the back of the snowmobile in the middle of Solberg Lake and my dad did not notice until he got back to the cabin and my mom went "Where's Jen?"
And he found me wandering towards the house in the middle of the lake at like, you know, seven o'clock at night. And I was just like, I remember when he picked me up, I was like, you just left me. You left me. And of course, he thought it was very funny. And now I think it's funny, but yeah, they learned really quickly that they should probably get some sort of, um, like back to the snowmobile and, you know, make sure I, I was a little secured, maybe I didn't go out on such long rides. I was probably about six at the time.
ERICA MARTEN: [
00:17:01] Well, it's definitely not as exciting as Jen's um, but last year, um, both Jen, myself, our husbands, and, um, about, oh I'd say six other folks, um, we all went up to, um, the UP to go snowmobiling and it was, you know, kind of one of my first longer trips in a long time.
Um, and it just, it was really exciting to be out there with everybody and just, you know, have fun. Race across the open lake together and um, you know, we always... you know, jab at the boys you know. The girls can keep up with you just fine. And I was so proud, Jen and I did so well that trip. We kept up, um, just fine. So it was, it was, it was fun to know that you know, even though this, that amount of time had passed, like you can still do it. Absolutely. You can get back into it and pick up where you left off.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:18:08] Love it. I love it. What advice do you guys have for maybe someone who like you hasn't done it since childhood or someone who is maybe thinking about giving snowmobiling a try? What advice do you have for them?
JEN MARCOTT-BONG: [
00:18:22] First and foremost, especially if you really haven't been in, in it is, um, join a club. Um, I'm, uh, the secretary for one of the local clubs here in Price County and we get a lot of new members who have never, um, been snowmobiling and they're getting into the sport and it's just a really great way to A. Get to know people who are in the sport, but then ask, you know, just general questions or find out about what are the regulations and things of that nature that you might not be aware of. So I think that, you know, for anybody, you know, find a club in your local area, you can usually, you know, you can go on the AWSC website to find any local club and they're all listed there and lots of clubs have Facebook pages and it's just a, a great way to help you get into the sport.
ERICA MARTEN: [
00:19:11] Yeah. And to, to build on top of that, um, kind of some of the other things that might be a little bit more obvious, but, um, just finding a reliable sled, making sure you have the proper gear to keep you warm and safe and of course, um, someone to go out with you. Um, cause going back to that safety thing, you should never go alone.
Um, so, um, learn how to care for your sled just as you would take care of your car. Um, Of course, the DNR has the Snowmobile Safety course where you can learn all the rules of riding, um, study trail maps, or use technology like GPS, um, or another navigation app. Um, we use the Polaris Ride Command app on our phones and of course, just make sure you understand the regulations for riding in your state. Um, and stay on those marked trails.
KATIE GRANT: [
00:20:14] You've been listening to Wild Wisconsin. A podcast brought to you by the Wisconsin DNR. Interested in joining in on the fun? Search for Wisco Sled Divas on Facebook to request to join. Have questions about snowmobiling and staying safe in Wisconsin? Email us. DNR podcast@wisconsin.gov. For more great content be sure to subscribe to Wild Wisconsin wherever you get your podcasts.
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