Lacey Middlestead is a Montana native and freelance writer currently living in Helena, Mont. She loves meeting new people and helping share their stories. When she’s not busy writing articles for newspapers like the Independent Record and Helena Vigilante, she can usually be found indulging in her second greatest passion–playing in the Montana wilderness. She loves skiing and snowmobiling in the winter and four wheeling, hiking, boating, and riding dirt bikes in the summer.
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After convincing me to start playing hockey and race dirt bikes in 2013, I figured my dad would take it easy on me in the New Year. No such luck!
Last week, I found myself and all my snowmobile gear crammed in a truck bound for Togwotee, Wyoming to attend a women’s backcountry riding clinic with pro rider, Dan Adams. My dad and boyfriend attended a clinic with him two years ago and were incredibly impressed with how much they learned. When they heard that he was offering his first ladies clinic, they told me I HAD to go!
Dan Adams is the owner and instructor of Next Level Riding Clinics, which are designed to make you a better, more efficient mountain rider as well as educate you on avalanche awareness and safety. Most of his clinics are held in held in Alpine, Wyoming, but he chose Togwotee for the ladies clinic because of its more varied and moderate terrain.
By the time my dad, boyfriend and I arrived there, I was completely overcome with nerves and anxiety about starting the clinic the next day. I was certain I was going to be in way over my head. Things got worse on our way in to eat dinner at the lodge where we were staying when we passed Dan Adams in the hallway. My boyfriend hollered out to him so he could introduce me. My first impression of Dan was that he looked like an action figure, with his extremely muscular physique. He looked like he made a living out of wrestling alligators, not riding sleds. I was grateful my flimsy biceps were hidden under my hoodie sleeves. He shook my hand and asked if I was ready for the first day. I stuttered out a ‘yes,’ but it was pretty clear to everyone that I was lying.
Day one arrived and at 9 a.m. seven other ladies and I congregated in the lobby with Dan and his two assistant instructors, Levi and Jason, before heading out. I’m used to only riding with guys, so it was reassuring to walk into a room with women with long hair like me, fake nails, pink adorned riding gear, and equally nervous looks. I knew that all the struggles I had with riding were probably the same as theirs. So if nothing else, we were all on a level riding field.
The first day consisted of practicing our powder turns and side hilling. With at least 4 feet of fluffy powder on top everywhere we went, all of us got plenty of practice in getting stuck. At one point, I looked up and burst out laughing because 6 out of the 8 girls had their sleds stuck or rolled over in a powdery meadow. And all of us went flying completely off our sleds at least a few times. Dan and his boys certainly had their work cut out for them. But their patience and kindness towards all of us was truly remarkable. We all admitted before starting the day that we were used to getting yelled at by our husbands or boyfriends when we go riding. But Dan, Levi, and Jason were ever encouraging and supportive of our riding.
Day two involved a lot more side hill practice and even a little downhill sidehilling. I may or may not have frozen on top of a hill like an idiot at one point while everyone yelled at me from down below. After giving up and riding straight down the hill, Dan asked if I was afraid of rolling down the hill. I explained laughing that I wasn’t worried about rolling down the hill, or of my sled rolling down the hill, but of the two of us bumping into each other on the way down. He just laughed and we continued riding.
My clinic with Dan Adams involved two of the hardest and most frustrating days of my life. But my god, did I ever learn a lot. I learned about counter steering and proper foot placement. I learned about how crucial timing is in when you give the sled throttle and shift your weight to tip the sled up on one ski. I learned that “momentum” is much more important that a pinned throttle. All my years of whining about being too small and weak to ride a sled were quickly dashed as soon as I saw other girls my size doing the stuff I thought I couldn’t do. And I learned that, according to Dan Adams, you aren’t ever really stuck unless you have to cut down a tree to get out.
Overall, it was one of the best experiences of my life. I am truly grateful to Dan, Levi and Jason for sticking by all of us girls through the weekend and exhibiting more patience than I thought it was possible for men to have with girl riders. Dan is one of the top riders out there and he is leading the way in improving the skills of anyone, male or female, who has a passion for the sport. I encourage all lady riders out there who want to improve their skills to contact Dan Adams and get signed up for one of his clinics. Visit nextlevelclinics.com to learn more.