Top Outdoor Destinations to Visit This Winter, Everest Edition trailer celebrates Flaman manager's summit...

Top Outdoor Destinations to Visit This Winter

Posted by Jennifer Thompson Jan 12, 2021

This winter will be the perfect opportunity to have that staycation you’ve always dreamed about, to stick close to home and enjoy the beauty your own backyard has to offer. With snow and freezing temperatures come exciting outdoor adventures and activities the whole family can enjoy. So bundle up and make warm and lasting memories, without traveling too far from home.

We’ve put together a small list of great outdoor destinations – but there are so many to choose from! As always, please follow local health authority guidelines about traveling and check with the destination to make sure they’re open.

Prince Albert National Park
Winter is a beautiful time to visit northern Saskatchewan, especially Prince Albert National Park, a million acres of snow-covered wilderness. This winter paradise offers many family-friendly outdoor activities like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, skating, winter camping, wildlife photography and much more. Snowmobiles are not permitted in Prince Albert National Park but there are hundreds of kilometers of excellent, groomed trails outside the park (see below for more info).

Blue Mountain Adventure Park, North Battleford
If you’re looking for a fun and unique getaway this winter, then Blue Mountain is the place to go. This beautiful outdoor destination has everything on your list, including a tubing park, over 30 kilometers of groomed trails for skating and cross-country skiing, designated trails for snowshoeing, plus a nice chalet to warm up in when you’re cold! You can rent snowshoes and cross-country skis onsite, but you do need to bring your own skates.

Johnston Canyon Ice Walk, Banff
This is one of the most popular attractions in Banff National Park, and home to spectacular frozen waterfalls. This guided hike takes you along steel catwalks built into the canyon walls up to the iconic frozen upper falls, with beautiful views into the gorge below. Wander through a natural cave to gaze down at the frozen falls up close or continue onto the upper falls – a tower of ice that rises 30 metres above your head.

Canmore and Kananaskis
With gorgeous snowy mountains and many winter activities, Canmore and Kananaskis is fun for the whole family. Enjoy scenic snowshoeing at Chester Lake, cross-country or Alpine skiing, waterfall and ice-cave climbing, underground tours of the famous Rat’s Nest cave under Canmore’s Grotto Mountain or even SnowFlow yoga, designed specifically to elevate your season on the slopes with a mindful, proactive approach.

Local Snowmobile Trails
As of the date this blog was posted, snowmobile trails are open in Saskatchewan and Alberta. There are hundreds of kilometers of well-maintained trails in both provinces for sledders to enjoy.

Check out these articles from SnoRiders magazine for the top places to snowmobile in Saskatchewan and Alberta. For eight years, readers voted Hudson Bay their favourite spot in Saskatchewan. It offers consistently deep and fresh snow, lasting well into April, and 690 kilometres of maintained trails with 16 warm-up shelters.

Or check out one of Alberta snowmobilers’ top picks: Athabasca, on the banks of Alberta’s longest river. This outdoor-oriented town boasts 300 kilometres of groomed trails west of Baptiste Lake, with terrain and scenery including boreal forest, river valleys and rolling hills. Two staging areas allow for easy access to the trails, and there are cabins and warm-up areas with picnic tables, fire pits and firewood.

Visit the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association’s website, Snowmobilers of Manitoba’s website, or the Alberta Snowmobile Association’s website for more up-to-date information on the status of your local snowmobile trails.
Posted in Local News | Tagged with winter recreation staycation snowmobiling ice fishing | More articles by Jennifer Thompson

Everest Edition trailer celebrates Flaman manager's summit

Posted by Jennifer Thompson Oct 08, 2013

Standing at 28,700 feet above sea level, the crisp mountain air whipping around him, the first rays of morning sunlight glittering on the untouched snow ahead of him, Steve Whittington, Saskatoon mountaineer and Flaman Trailers division manager, took his final steps onto the South Summit as the top of Mount Everest exploded into view. The Hillary Step and final summit ridge were all that remained between him and the top. At that moment, after living on the side of a mountain for almost two months, he knew he was going to make it.

Whittington and his climbing Sherpa Dawa had been battling a storm for hours considering turning around. When they reached The Balcony they stopped to rest and have a drink. Assessing the situation, Whittington realized his oxygen consumption had been far less than he had originally thought and he didn’t have to change tanks. This meant he was doing better than he realized. “And then I got mad. After 56 days on this mountain I was not going to let a storm turn me around,” Whittington says.

After reaching the South Summit, Whittington traversed the corniced ridge line and quickly climbed the Hillary Step. Then it was an emotional victory march as he made his way to the prayer flag adorned summit. “It was clear, it was bright, it was beautiful,” Whittington recalls. “I burned the moment into my soul.”

As Whittington stood at 29,029 feet, staring at the world below, 10 years of his blood, sweat and tears had finally culminated into that one perfect moment. There’s not a lot of time to celebrate at the top, but he and Dawa took a few moments to place prayer flags and take photos. Snapshots show Whittington with a banner dedicating his summit to childhood friend Warren Thompson and posing with a Flaman Group of Companies flag.

The team at Flaman is extremely proud that one of our own was able to accomplish such an amazing feat. To celebrate Whittington’s summit, Flaman Trailers is introducing the exclusive Everest Edition sled trailers. These trailers come with bonus, value-added features for extra convenience and functionality. Our manufacturers stepped up to help us celebrate and we’re able to offer these features at no extra cost to the customer.

The 2014 XR Series trailers come with new interior kick plates, interior black matte trim, new aluminum rims, a cabinet, coat rack, bench and a 110 Volt Plug. You can see all these great features by clicking here.

All Aluma flat deck snowmobile trailers and the 2 place enclosed sled trailer come with special Everest Edition aluminum rims. To see the different Aluma trailers Flaman has, click here.

Check out these trailers soon, as they are only available this winter! Not all XR sled trailers will feature this new package, so please talk to your local salesperson.

Whittington’s journey to the top of Everest started 10 years ago. He has more than 40 summits to his name, including five of the world’s seven summits. “Climbing Everest was a longing that I didn’t quite understand,” Whittington says. “But I knew I had to be patient enough to build the skills that I needed to climb it over the past decade.”

Whittington followed a grueling program of work outs and went on several climbing trips to increase his strength and endurance, add weight (he lost 30 pounds on the mountain) and increase his maximal oxygen intake. You can read his training blogs on Flaman Fitness’ Fit Talk blog.

Could there be a second trip up Everest in the future? Whittington is steadfast in his answer: “I have no desire to go back.” But he does have plans to finish the seven summits and eventually tap the top of Vinson Massif in Antarctica and Carstensz Pyramid in Oceania. Right now, he says, he’s focusing on his family. But the pull of the mountain is strong.

“When you’re climbing there are so many uncertainties, so many what ifs. But where other people see uncertainty, I see possibility. This is why I climb.”

Steve on the top of Mt Everest with the Flaman Group of Companies flag.

The new XR Everest Edition sled trailer comes with many great features like:

New aluminum rims Fold down bench

Coat rack

Posted in New Products | Tagged with Everest Edition sled trailers snowmobile trailers enclosed trailers flatdeck Mt Everest Steve Whittington | More articles by Jennifer Thompson

Sled'N Snap Calendars have arrived!

Posted by Jennifer Thompson Sep 16, 2013

Now you can relive your favourite snowmobiling memories all year round with the new Sled’N Snap calendar, available from Flaman.

This 2014 calendar features beautiful winning photos from last year’s Sled’N Snap photo contest. Use it to keep track of your all important events, trips or keep on top of the kids’ activities schedule. The calendar also includes important dates and events from the Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and North Dakota snowmobile associations, and Flaman Group of Companies.

Even in the sweltering summer you can enjoy the photos and day dream about hitting the fresh powder next winter with your sled.

Stop by your local Flaman store today to pick up your free calendar. Or you can get a calendar from the Flaman Trailers booth at the upcoming Alberta Snowmobile Show in Edmonton Oct 18-20 and the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Show in Saskatoon Nov 1-3. Don’t forget to grab one for your friends too!

You can sign up for a Sled’N Snap account and submit photos to contest online at www.slednsnap.com. Next year your photo could be in a calendar!

Posted in Division News | Tagged with SledN Snap Calendars snowmobiling contest | More articles by Jennifer Thompson

Winter is Coming Snowmobile Trailer Sale

Posted by Steve Whittington Sep 24, 2012

The end of September is close, and every year at Flaman Trailers we review excess stock we have from the previous year and discount our snowmobile trailers.

All 10 locations have inventory to move, and all inventory is available at all locations (pending shipping). The discounts are deep and the sale will not last long. While there is not every choice you would want (you will have to wait for the new 2013 models for that) there is a lot of choice.

Here are some examples:

20’ enclosed steel-framed Summit Series sled trailer with heat
26’ all aluminum enclosed NashCar Rage snowmobile trailers
20’ two-tone XR Series enclosed sled trailer
12’ single axle two-place enclosed all aluminum NashCar Rage snowmobile trailer
Plus 12’ aluminum and steel open deck sled trailers and 10’ steel and aluminum tilt sled trailers

Winter is coming and these units are starting to move fast, but unlike winter these deals will not last long. Hurry in to your local dealer!

Click here to see product details and photos.

Posted in Local News | Tagged with sled trailers snowmobile trailers trailers for sale winter | More articles by Steve Whittington

Snow = Savings

Posted by Steve Whittington Jan 17, 2012

Well, we finally have snow!

It's actually looking like winter now in many parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta. This is good news for snowmobilers, who can finally get out on the trails and have some fun. And the snow is good news if you're looking to buy a trailer. At Flaman Trailers, we're celebrating the snowfall by passing on some great savings to you on snowmobile trailers.

You need a trailer to get to where you can go sledding. You may need one for storing your sleds. Currently there are sales, clearance items and manufacturer rebates on trailers. Now is really the best time to buy.

Check our website for deals or call your local dealership. You will not be disappointed. Visit https://www.flaman.com/trailers/Snowmobile-Trailers/

Posted in Division News | Tagged with snowmobile trailers sled trailers enclosed trailers trailer sale snow winter snowmobiling | More articles by Steve Whittington

New photo contest created for local snowmobilers

Posted by Jennifer Thompson Dec 12, 2011

A new website has been created to get the message out about safe sledding to local snowmobilers.

Sled’N Snap (www.slednsnap.com) is an online photo contest and community forum that celebrates snowmobiling in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association and Flaman Group of Companies recently launched the new website as a way to reach out to the sledding community.

“Our biggest challenge is getting the message out to our many members about safe and courteous riding,” says Chris Brewer, President and CEO of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association. “This contest is a fun and interactive way to spread the word to a larger audience.”

“But it’s more than just a photo contest. It’s a destination site for anyone who snowmobiles. There are links to trail maps, articles about safety, a tips forum and more.”

Sled’N Snap’s premise is simple – visitors to the site upload their photos in a variety of categories like Trail/Scenery/Wildlife, Youth and Family, Action!, or Club Rides. At the end of March, the photos will be judged by an association panel who will select a group of finalists and then the public will vote for the grand prize winner.

Up for grabs is the use of the amazing, fully-loaded Stealth aluminum enclosed sled trailer for one year. There are also category prizes from the Saskatchewan Association and every entry is eligible for the random draw for a new two-place aluminum tilt trailer from Flaman Trailers.

And it’s a way for snowmobilers across the province to share memories and common experiences. They can leave comments on photos or share pictures on Facebook. “One of the submitted photos is of a cabin that’s used as a shelter, and someone’s already commented on how they remember going to that same place,” says Brewer.

The submission period for the photo contest ends March 31, 2012. To be eligible for any prizes, entrants must have a registered sled. For more information, visit www.slednsnap.com.

Posted in Division News | Tagged with SledN Snap sleds sledding snowmobiling photos photography trailers prizes | More articles by Jennifer Thompson

So many Sled Trailers but what should you choose?

Posted by Steve Whittington Nov 24, 2011

This season the diversity of choice for a sled trailer can be daunting. There are many brands, different dealers, options and types to choose from.

Let me try to take you through the choices with a bunch of comparison points as follows: Canadian versus American, steel versus aluminum, open versus enclosed, enclosed 7 wide versus 8.5 ft wide deck over, heated versus not heated and dealer versus dealer.

1) Canadian versus American. Let me start by writing “buy Canadian eh” whenever possible. There, I put it in writing. Not to get political but come on, if you can, support a Canadian company. That said, of the Canadian brands that provide sled trailers, the two leading players are Southland Trailers with their XR Series and Trailtech with their heavy duty steel trailers. There are others in the West notably Rainbow Trailers, Agassiz Trailers and CJay Trailers; however, their choice offering is less than the leading two. That said, the American companies do a good job, the problem is how fluid the industry is. Many companies rise and fall quite quickly (such as Pace American which recently shut its doors). Despite this, competition in the US is thick and there are all kinds of options to choose from, but beware of what you are buying and from whom. At Flaman Trailers we partner with the two leading Canadian companies and several American companies to round out our offering.

2) Steel versus aluminum. The debate rages, but there are some simple facts. Aluminum is lighter and does not rust, but it costs about a 1/3 more. Steel is stronger and on an enclosed unit it is only the tip of the trailer and the tail that is really going to show any rust. On an open deck there is a little more exposure. With the weight factor, several hundred pounds with a regular pick up makes a heck of a difference for hauling. For instance a two place aluminum open can weigh as little as 480 lb., while a two place steel open can weigh as much as 1345 lb.

3) Open versus enclosed. To be honest, it comes down to available storage, usage and budget. If you have lots of room to store your trailers in for the summer, there’s no need for an enclosed trailer otherwise. As for usage, how many a times a year will you be trailering and how far? Do you need an enclosed staging area? The amount of time you have to spend cleaning grime off your sled gets older every time. That being said, if you are hauling only a few times or short distances, get an open deck trailer, save some money and put it into your sled.

4) Enclosed lowboy/7 ft wide versus enclosed 8.5 ft wide deck over. Traditionally, if you wanted to haul sleds in Canada you purchased an 8.5’ wide deck over trailer. Your sleds parked side by side and loading and unloading was easy through the rear and front ramp. The 8.5’ wide deck over trailers, while convenient for loading, are big and if you have a steel frame trailer you need a big truck to haul your big trailer. Lowboy and 7 ft wide trailers are easier to pull and the 7 ft wide is a more convenient multi-use trailer in the off season than the 8.5 ft deck over. You can also see around the 7 wide and 8 wide lowboys with your mirrors when hauling. But loading is tricky, and you will not be walking in your trailer when loaded, there simply is no room.

5) Heated versus not heated. To heat or not to heat is a question many a customer has. The benefits of heat are obvious, but are you going to use it enough to justify the added expense? Only you can be the judge of that.

6) Dealer versus dealer. There are many dealers selling sled trailers. Your choices are many but should be made based on product knowledge, service and after sales support – not price! The trailers are all priced differently for a reason. If something is less or more at different dealers it is due to features, product quality and support the dealership offers. Educate yourself and purchase from a professional that will help you choose the best sled trailer for you.

Hope this helps!

Posted in Trailer Tips | Tagged with snowmobile trailers sled trailers trailer open flat deck enclosed highboy lowboy deck over steel aluminum Canadian | More articles by Steve Whittington

Sled Trailer Season Has Started!

Posted by Steve Whittington Nov 07, 2011

The days are getting colder, Halloween has come and gone and this means Sled Trailer season has started!

Flaman Trailers is excited for the start of the season. Flaman Trailers has already been to the Alberta Snowmobile show and the Saskatchewan Snowmobile show.

We have more product choices for you than ever before. Starting with the economical offering of our steel framed Summit Series trailers to the all flat black Stealth trailer from NashCar Trailers, we truly have a trailer for every sled. Our open deck line has expanded as well. Aluminum tilt trailers with a five year warranty are always popular units. For the 2012 season Trailtech has produced a special edition open deck two place. It is an eye catcher with flat black paint, silver reflective tape, white LED lighting and series 7 aluminum rims.

However, the show stopper is the ultimate custom Stealth 40 foot long gooseneck. This trailer features mirrored interior walls, black hard top flooring, a kitchenette, a rocking stereo system with no less than 4 subs, air conditioning, a 40,000 BTU heater, insulated generator set...and the list goes on and on.

Last and most exciting is the new photo contest Sled'N Snap (www.slednsnap.com). Flaman Trailers partnered with the Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba snowmobile associations to bring this exciting contest to the sledding community. The contest has it all: six categories to enter into, an entry prize of a two place aluminum tilt trailer per province, and the grand prize, use of a 28’ tag Stealth trailer for a year.

So this winter season there is a lot going on at Flaman Trailers. Check back often to keep in the loop.

Posted in Product Information | Tagged with Snowmobile Trailers Flatdeck Trailers Aluminum Information | More articles by Steve Whittington

New Enclosed Trailer Line Up

Posted by Steve Whittington Feb 23, 2011

The 2011 Lightning line by Southland Trailer Corp has been redesigned away from a V-nose back to the traditional flat front.

Economy without Comprise

Sure it's a tag line, but really what else should I write, because the line is the proper description for the Lightning trailer. Sometimes you do not want a trailer with all the bells and whistles - you might be a customer that is only going to use a trailer several times a year, or maybe you have just started a business and cash is tight. Either way with the new Lightning line, Flaman Trailers has the trailer for you.

The new Lightning line has an all tubing main frame. The interior is lined with plywood not luan and the units ride on robust spring axles. Sure the aluminum skin is mechanically fastened with screws and the the lights are incandescent as opposed to LED lighting, but these are standard specifications for this class of trailer. The rear taillights are rubber mounted and most LED lights are fix mounted. I personally still debate whether a rubber mounted LED which can absorb travel shock will last longer than a fixed mounted LED with has to take the full jarring impact of the road.

As mentioned above, the unit is a flat front in the traditional style of enclosed trailers and conforms to the standard box sizes. You, our customer, have been asking for an entry level priced unit and through consultation with our partner manufacturer this line up is it.

Canadian made, Canadian value, Flaman Trailer services what we sell. Come to our locations and see the new Lightning trailers starting at $2,995.

Posted in Product Information | Tagged with Southland Snowmobile Trailers Cargo Trailers | More articles by Steve Whittington

XR Sport - Side by Side ATV Trailer

Posted by Flaman Sep 01, 2010

Southland Trailers Has recently came out with a new addition to their enclosed line up. The XR Sport Model is designed specifically to haul your side by side ATV.

The trailer comes standard with extra 8” of height with allows you enough room to ride your ATV in with ease. (rear door height - 81", rear door width - 74") The entire frame is constructed of hollow structural steel (HSS). Full tubing construction means increased strength and rigidity. We upgraded the flooring to high grade structural mezzanine decking, perfect for construction or recreational use.

The Sport model comes standard with 4, recessed D-rings rated at over 500lbs each for the safety of whatever you’re hauling. An aluminum tread plate 24” rock guard wraps the front of this trailer, On some models we have also added aluminum rims, this increases longevity of the rim and gives the trailer a polished look. The XR Sport comes standard with Flo thru vents and utilizes slim line LED lighting throughout the exterior of the trailer.

There are many color options available to you, here we feature our “Camo Edition” this is a limited edition trailer with only a few models available. This unique trailer would be great for hauling your side by side on your next hunting trip! Because of the many features this trailer has such as the extra height and heavy duty flooring we have been getting a lot of positive feedback from customers who use the trailer for more commercial and industrial uses as well.

Whatever you chose to use this trailer for, you will be satisfied with the quality and workmanship that Southland Trailers provides For more information, please contact your local Flaman Trailer Dealer.

Posted in Product Information | Tagged with Southland Snowmobile Trailers | More articles by Flaman

Equipment Finder ≡

Flaman Rentals Blog

Categories

Recent activity

Authors

Archive