"The best tip is ride within your known skill level, and don't be embarrassed if you come to something that you don't feel comfortable doing. Admit it and don't do it. Tomorrow, you might be able to, but don't let your ego and pride and all of these social ills hidden inside get in the way of keeping you staying safe. Because everybody does something very, very well," Uhl says.
One of the most important characteristics that OHV students learn is patience. Skill comes with practice.
"I never thought I was going to get it figured out. I took me days of trying. Many times I've been up on the slope and come back all bruised. I was always soaked from head to toe because I spent all my time planted in the snow. All of a sudden, one day, I went over that line, and then it all clicked," Uhl says.
Before any rider hits the road or slopes, safety should always be the primary concern.
Uhl recommends that you always let someone know where you are riding. If possible try to ride in groups. Always make a list of what you have on you, as opposed to what is on your bike. This is in case you and your bike are separated at some point.
Uhl urges that anyone who is an active OHV rider take professional courses so common-sense riding skills are learned and practiced. In the end, he says training benefits your safety.
"Here is one: a motorcycle rider just learning to ride - he came to the school and he was on vacation, misread a map. A trailer was marked inappropriately and they ended up stranded out in the middle of the desert. His cell phone was broken; he had no water; it was hot and dry. One of the guys with him was severely dehydrated. He started to going into shock and so he remembered what he learned in class about going into the survival mode. He actually tore the cell phone apart and fixed it out in the field so that they could finally call for help. It is about thinking outside the box. This is what you learn in training," Uhl says.
Whether you drive an ATV or snowmobile, knowing your limitations is key in keeping you safe. Don't do a jump until you're comfortable. Riding should be fun; if it's not, then you're doing something wrong.
