| 
"Digger"
Doug Gust's Winter Wonderland SnowCross Track
::Continued::
But what is one to do if it’s a dry winter
with little snow? Make your own snow of course!
Digger Doug’s facility also comes equipped
with two snow making machines he purchased not
long ago from a local ski resort. “I have
two Areco Snow Guns and depending on the temperature
and humidity, they can pump out about 15 semi
truck loads of snow over a 17 hour period,”
Gust explained. “Earlier this year it looked
like we weren’t going to get much snow here
so I fired up the machines and made some!”
| Doug
Gust's Snow Cross Track Making Process |
 |
|
| It
is not an easy or cheap task to make snow
for a snowcross track because you need a
large source of water, which Doug has with
his lake, but you also need a high powered
60hp water pump to feed the snow guns, and
the pump that Doug uses can't even be hooked
up to his electric because it is 2-Phase,
so he rents a couple of commercial generators
to power the pump and snow guns, which sucks
over 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel over the
winter |
 |
|
| With
all the equipment in place, which adds up
to easily over $50,000, you still need Mother
Nature to cooperate to make snow because
it has to be alteast below 25 degrees to
make snow with the high humidity in WI,
but the ideal temp is below 10 degrees,
so most of snow is made after dark and throughout
the night into the morning, so Doug has
to stay up and keep an eye on the snow guns
and move them around so the snow piles up
in different areas. Also, once all the snow
is built up in piles, Doug must break out
his dozer to move the snow around on the
track, which is tricky because if the snow
is too soft, the Dozer could sink into the
snow and get stuck for the rest of the winter. |
Although playing in the snow everyday sounds
like a pretty easy job, Gust is quick to point
out that there is a little more involved with
maintaining a snow cross track. “A lot of
people think that snow is easy to work with because
it’s soft, but it really isn’t. The
fluctuation of temperatures outside causes the
snow to melt and re-freeze, which makes it hard.
You have to groom the track regularly and break
up the ice that forms or it gets really icy and
hard, which makes it tough to ride on,”
Gust explained.
|
|
| As
the sun began to set, I talked Doug into
getting out his Suzuki QuadRacer to roost
up the snow for some pics, but sadly, Suzuki
didn't resign Doug for 2010, so Doug might
be missing from the ATV Motocross lineup
for the first time in over 20 years |
Of course for Gust, riding sleds isn’t
all just fun and games. “It provides me
with some really good cross training during the
off season. I like to stick close to home, because
for me that’s like a vacation, since I am
always traveling so much, and riding sleds in
the winter gives me that opportunity,” he
said. “Also, the economy up here really
thrives on the snow mobile industry in the winter.
When the snow falls, everyone gets out on their
sleds and rides and it really generates a lot
of money for dealerships, repair shops, and gas
stations and such.”
| |
| Doug
Gust gets a thumbs Up by Nick DeNoble along
with anyone else that is lucky enough to
ride at Digger's Winter Wonderland |
Gust’s cross training is a big bonus for him
regarding his health as well. “I went to my
doctor the other day for a check up to make sure
I’m not going to have a heart attack while
I’m racing or anything like that. Apparently
I am in very good health because he said ‘You
could go up against twenty year olds,’ and
I told him ‘That’s exactly what I do!’”
Gust said with a laugh.
Although there have been no official announcements
as to what Gust will be doing in the 2010 season,
you can bet that what ever it is, all of his cross
training in the snow, and his love of racing will
help him stay on top of his game.
If you are interested in riding a Doug Gust's
on a Sled or ATV, send an email to cindihart@aol.com
for more information
|
