The Dirt: Better Times Ahead

This is from The Dirt, by John Prusak, in the May/June 2010 issue of ATV Magazine.

Congratulations seem to be in order. By the time you read this, you will have successfully made it through what, in many areas, was an unbelievably harsh winter.

At one point in February, every state in the country except for Hawaii had snow on the ground. And, let’s face it, Hawaii isn’t much of a state is it? It’s more of an island paradise than a bona fide part of the good-ol’ ATV-riding world we call the U.S. of A.
Most economists agree that you’ve also made it most of the way through one of the worst worldwide recessions our planet has ever experienced. Oh sure, unemployment is still higher than anybody wants and we’ve all taken some financial hits the past couple of years. But we’ve pretty much made it through the storm, and better times appear to be on the horizon. [Read more]

Season's Change

Winter really pulled a disappearing act on us this year in the Upper Midwest. One day I was sitting atop my yard’s towering snow banks sipping Irish coffee scowling at my neighbors’ less-than-symmetrical piles of snow, while the next week I was spreading aloe on my sunburned face and working on those stubborn tan lines on the front porch. Sometimes the weather moves faster than our minds, which is why you need the aforementioned burst of caffeine to keep up.

I like paying attention to the changing seasons. It’s a good hobby, and evidence life will go on regardless of who’s ready for it. Since I live in Minnesota and it’s still April, it’s possible we’ll get another, soul-crushing snow storm before the end of the month. I don’t like this sort of talk, though, and my sources tell me that’s absolutely not the case. I mean, come on, the pussy willows (Salix discolor, to be scientific) have popped out already! Mother Earth wouldn’t do that to us, would she?  [Read more]

America's Best ATV Riding

We’re doing a story in the upcoming (July) issue of ATV Magazine about the 25 best (and our favorite) ATV riding areas throughout the country – based on our team’s experience, uniqueness of terrain, quality of the trails, regional amenities and miles of available OHV riding.

Some of the locations on the list include Southern California’s Imperial Sand Dunes (of course!), New Mexico’s Carson National Forest, Grand Lake, Colorado, Coal Creek in Tennessee and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan – among 20 others.

Where do you all recommend? What are your favorite riding areas, and why? We are always looking for new places to check out, so comment or e-mail and let us know where you like to ride.

Follow the conversation at the ATV Magazine/ATV Sport forum at www.atvmagonline.com/forum.cfm.

2009 Yamaha Raptor 700R SE Test Ride video

We rode the 2009 Yamaha Raptor 700R Special Edition model in Glamis and had a blast. Check out this video and let us know what you think.

Ride safe and have fun.
For more videos, visit ATVSport.com