Smackout Adventures

Final day of Mountain Mafia Entertainment LLC Havoc 2024 about to start. This is going to be a crazy day! If you can't make it, watch the live event.

Take a ride at Rally at the Ranch 2024 to see the slash at the Canada border!

Along the northern border, "The Slash" marks the international border between and the .

Join our team. For more information visit: https://bit.ly/3ZEnpdX

Had a great ride some amazing people in North Idaho yesterday! What's your next adventure?

HMOR & BOMBSHELL BBQ 2024 started! Rally at the Ranch 2024 prize pack going to be won by someone today. Come down and win!

We are pleased to announce that we are part of a HUGE raffle give-away, partnered with the Twin Lakes Improvement Association! Stop by the Silverlake Mall to see the Segway UT10P CREW on display and purchase your tickets while they last! Or stop by our store to purchase tickets directly from us and check out some sweet rides while your here!

While we won't have a public ride for Memorial Weekend, we will be riding Sunday/Monday in Ione.

If you want to join us Sunday or Monday, just send a message and we will let you know what or plans are. Sunday we will be playing in some snow!

We will be at the IOX Event this weekend at Mountain Mafia Entertainment LLC Friday and Saturday. Poker run and afternoon trail ride Saturday will be a blast!

Idaho Overland Experience May 24-26, 2024. Come enjoy the ranch, open wheeling, poker run, rig contest with multiple categories, camping and good times with friends! AMSOIL INC. A-L Compressed Gases, Inc. Mac's Tie Downs Sturgeon Station Travel Center AJF Trailers Western Canadian Rockwell Federated Auto Parts WARN Industries Custom Truck Coeur d' Alene Elite Tire & Suspension Northern Idaho Powersports Fully Loaded Trucking Patriot Chassis LLP

We will be in Ione supporting the Selkirk Trailblazers Club annual Katherine Maupin fund raiser poker run this Saturday. Buy a raffle ticket to win a Rally at the Ranch 2024 prize pack including 2 adult tickets and 2 shirts. Hope to see everyone this weekend supporting such an amazing cause, as all proceeds go towards helping families in the area.

What's your view tonight for the northern lights. Ours is amazing.

Who's looking for a great deal on a new bike?

Every opinion and feedback matters.

Check out our trip this past weekend to the Moses Lake Mud Flats and Sand Dunes ORV Area

Moses Lake Spring 2024 Camp and Ride We go for our first full weekend of camping and riding at Moses Lake Sand Dunes. From exploring the dunes, drag racing, night rides and an amazing sunset, w...

Some great information and reading...

Off-Roading 201:
Staying Legal & On-Trail
Motorized Access To Roads and Trails On Public Lands:

This post came about due to a conversation with a fellow wheeler. He was telling me about his travels on what I know to be a long closed road that is now "walk-in only." He said it was perfectly OK because no signs said that particular route was closed. ~~ That conversation worked out nicely. At the time, I had been looking for a new subject to post on. This is what I came up with. That was convenient.

Things I Hear People Say:

"If there isn't a sign saying it is closed, the road is open."
I hear this one A LOT. It just does not work that way. The Forest Rules (regulations), which have the effect of law and the law itself, have no actual requirement for agencies to place signs indicating allowable use and/or access. To make it a little more confusing, in this area, when they post signs, the BLM likes to post which trails on their lands are open, and the Forest Service seemingly prefers to post which trails are closed. A small but significant difference. Even when they do post signs, lots of the signs are destroyed by people who falsely believe the lack of a sign will stop a law enforcement officer from issuing a ticket. Well...not so much. The law is prepared for this. Essentially, the law states that YOU are responsible for learning what roads you are allowed to use, how you can use them, and when you can use them. Signs are helpful, but the lack of a sign does not legally mean anything. What you need is the appropriate forest map and to take a few minutes before and during your trip to consult it. More on maps later.

"It is clearly made for full-sized vehicles, so it is legal to drive one there."
That is not how this works. It's not how any of this works. In this area, many walking, horseback riding, snowmobile, and ATV trails were once roads for full-sized vehicles. As well, seeing someone else traveling on a road does not make it legal to be there either. That excuse will not impress an officer or a judge. It is also possible the other person may have been authorized to be there, such as in logging operations, trail maintenance, or someone with a use permit.

"It shows the road (or trail) on my GPS, so it is a legal trail."
This one is becoming more popular as GPS' has become more common. GPS maps and most non-government forest maps show what is there, not necessarily what is legal. If a road is visible on aerial or satellite photos or earlier maps, it will likely end up on a current GPS or other topo maps. Private roads show up too, but that does not make it right for you to trespass there, either. Few maps show if a road is private. However, MVUM and Forest Visitor maps do show which forest roads are closed, open, seasonally restricted, or vehicle type restricted. (Note: The Forest Service has recently started offering some GPS-enabled Motor Vehicle Use Maps, but they don't cover much of Montana yet.) And, of course, I have seen multiple GPS applications showing bad road/trail information. So try to keep that in mind too.

"My buddy has been going there for (place # of years here), and he has never received a ticket."
Not having been caught has nothing to do with something being lawful or not. I went about 10 years without seeing a single Forest Service or BLM officer in the forest. Then, I ran into the same one about 8 times during one three or four-month span. Officers are, admittedly, often few and far between, so your odds of getting caught may be small, but they are out there.

"Nobody ever really gets in trouble anyway."
Just because it is not on the evening news does not mean it does or did not happen. Yes, the vast majority of penalties are small. However, the penalties for violating these rules can still be hard to swallow. The regulation states: "It is prohibited to possess or operate a motor vehicle on National Forest System lands on the...National Forest other than in accordance with these [travel] designations (36 CFR 261.13). Violators of 36 CFR 261.13 are subject to a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to 6 months, or both (18 USC 3571(e)). This prohibition applies regardless of the presence of signs." Note that fines can double for organized groups. Face it, you probably don't want to be one of those who do get caught.

How to stay legal: The Forest Service states, "It is the responsibility of the user to acquire the current Motor Vehicle User Map (MVUM). An MVUM shows the National Forest System roads, National Forest System trails and the areas on National Forest System lands…that are designated for motor vehicle use pursuant to 36 CFR 212.51."

These MVUM maps cover a smaller area or areas and are a little more precise than the Forest Visitor Maps. However, in many areas, an MVUM is not available yet. In that case, you should acquire a Forest Visitors map. MVUMs are free, and Forest Visitor Map hard copies are usually $14.00. Some maps are available for download too. These maps will tell you what roads are open, the authorized type of vehicle(s), and when they are open/closed in the case of seasonal restrictions. In many areas, the Forest Service MVUM maps have been converted to work with the Avenza application on both Andriod and Aplpe-IOS devices, allowing a GPS-enabled MVUM.

National Forest Service Maps Page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/maps

The real reason all this matters: You may or may not care if you get a ticket; as I stated above, they are usually small. But the real danger of traveling closed roads, in my opinion, is less about getting a ticket and more about losing our access. Those who don't care or don't know enough to care are a danger to our access. Bumping into FS or BLM law enforcement is pretty uncommon in many areas. This makes people think they can get away with their transgressions scot-free. Remember, just because an officer did not see the transgression does not mean they cannot tell it occurred.

Not getting a ticket may be nice, but if you are part of the reason more access is closed off, we ALL pay.

Now I hope you know a little more about access. Take a little time to learn about the MVUM and the Forest Visitor Maps. They contain a good deal of information YOU need to keep you on the right road.

Wheel Safe!

NOTE: This is about being and staying legal, not whether you or I agree with the laws or rules. This is just about what they are and how to locate that information.

This is primarily about access to and recreation on public lands. That means primarily Forest Service and BLM lands but also includes State lands. Such roads often pass through private property, too. Please Tread Lightly!

©2019 Richard Hiltz

Its the new see-thru Polaris Transmission!

Brad Transmission Its a new kind of of Polaris Transmission Bearing!

We are excited to announce Ballard Golf Cars and Power Sports will be the Presenting sponsor for Rally at the Ranch 2024! Ballard Golf and Power Sports is a veteran and family owned business located in Hayden, Idaho. They sell and service Golf Carts, ATVs, UTVs, Dirt Bikes, Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers and many accessories. With both new and used options Ballard Golf and Power Sports has the right choice for you!

Visit Ballard Golf and Power this Saturday, April 13th for their 2nd Annual Fire Sale event where Kinetic Kustoms will have information about Rally at the Ranch there. Stop by Ballard Golf and Power Sports to enter to win a pair of tickets to Rally at the Ranch throughout the month of April.

The third annual Rally at the Ranch is Sept 26-29 at Mountain Mafia Off-Road park in Bonners Ferry, North Idaho hosted by Smackout Adventures. This is a family-friendly 4-day ATV/UTV event at a 100 acre off-road paradise with hill climbs, mild to wild trails, rock and tire obstacles, mud boggs, night rides, free primitive camping, raffle drawing, interactive poker run, vendors, food and some friendly competitions. Tickets are available now for purchase at https://smackoutadventures.com/rally

Setup camp as early as Thursday and enjoy an extra day of riding off-property. With 100s of miles of forest roads and trails adjacent the ranch, you will see some spectacular views and great riding all the way to the Canadian border! Maps will be provided for recommended off-property rides with on-property riding starting Friday morning.

Truck N Delicious Food Truck will be on-site again from Friday evening to Sunday morning serving some delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner options. There will also be a coffee vendor for your morning cravings and caffeine fix to get moving. Many vendors will also be on-site showcasing the latest offerings throughout the weekend for you, including apparel and power sports needs.

Bring the family and meet new people in the ATV/UTV community for the ultimate end of summer adventure. For more information or to purchase tickets and powered camping (free primitive camping included with entry ticket) visit https://smackoutadventures.com/rally Save $10 by purchasing on-line!

Facebook Event information: https://fb.me/e/3AgLyU6tA

Check out this video that shows the activities and highlights from 2023: https://youtu.be/xwkNs6NKtro

Got questions? Most of them are answered here: https://smackoutadventures.com/questions-and-answers

We were in Moses Lake Mud Flats and Sand Dunes ORV Area yesterday for the "Run what ya brung" event. Got to hang out with some of our close friends, watch some good racing and check out Moses lake for the first time. Can you believe we have never been there before? We are planning on returning next month for a more details spotlight, but check out the videos from yesterday's action.

Moses Lake Sand Dunes 2024 - Run what ya Brung Our first visit to the Moses Lake Sand dunes. We watch as several of our friends drag race each other in the annual "Run what ya Brung" event. Then we ri...