Here are the answers to the snowmobiling stats quiz, with some side notes.
1. At 34,224 kilometers, this province has the largest snowmobile trail network in Canada.
a) Quebec — 32,446 km
b) Alberta — 6,300 km
c) Ontario — 34,224 km
d) Yukon Territories — 500km
OK, we realize that most people were going to narrow it down to Quebec and Ontario in a hurry. We also realize that Quebecers aren’t going to like the answer. But these are the official figures registered with the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association — take up your protests with them. Do you want the phone number?!
2. Of these four U.S. states, which has the most miles of snowmobile trails?
a) Ohio — 200 miles
b) Nebraska — 400 miles
c) Arizona — 500 miles
d) Indiana — 300 miles
That’s right, Arizona tops this list, with snowmobile trails in the mountainous section of the state. We were going to throw in a trick on this one, but we didn’t have the heart… According to the ISMA stats, Alaska (with its endless land mass and long winters) actually has fewer miles of trails listed than Arizona or Nebraska — just 350 miles officially, but tens of thousands of miles of riding up there.
3. Snowmobilers in Canada and the United States spend how much per year on snowmobiling, combined?
a) $34 billion
b) $24 billion
c) $18 billion
d) $27 billion
That’s right, we spend a combined $34 billion annually, according to the most recent stats.
4. Rounding off, what is the estimated number of snowmobile clubs in the world?
a) 2,000
b) 3,000
c) 3,500
d) 4,000
The official number is 3,000 clubs, according to ISMA. Do you support one?
5. According to an Iowa State University study from 2010, what’s the total economic impact of snowmobiling in Iowa?
a) $101.3 million
b) $84.2 million
c) $61.9 million
d) $123.3 million
Yes, even a state like Iowa, which doesn’t get a lot of snowmobiling tourism, still circulates a lot of money related to snowmobiling. And with gas prices going up and sleds that make it easy to put in 300-mile days, we find ourselves circulating more of that money every year!
6. One thing that makes a snowmobile float across the surface of fresh snow is the limited pressure it puts on the surface it rides upon. For instance, a four-wheel drive vehicle puts 30 pounds of pressure per square inch on the surface below. A horse rates in at 8 pounds PSI, a man walking is 5 pounds. So, what pressure does the average snowmobile put on the surface?
a) 1.4 pounds per square inch
b) 0.9 pounds
c) 0.5 pounds
d) 0.09 pounds
Compared to most anything, snowmobile’s tread more lightly, and long tracked snowmobiles are even lighter than this stat. That’s why a sled can carry you across a meadow with ease, but the second you step off of your sled you sink in powder up to your waist.