Make a Snow Jump for Sledding
Everyone loves sledding. There is nothing better than sledding down a huge snow covered hill in the middle of winter.... except a... snow jump! Just follow these steps to make one! You can choose from 2 different types of jumps!
Contents
Steps
- Find a hill. You will be building the snow jump at the middle or bottom of this hill. The best kind of hill is whatever you're comfortable with.
- Decide where to position the jump. There are many locations where you can put the snow jump. One of the most obvious locations is at the bottom, where you have the most speed. However, a very decent snow jump can be anywhere after you gain decent speed. You can even link jumps together, creating a snow park! Keep in mind where you'd like to land. Going from an inclined jump to a flat landing can be extremely painful, especially at high speeds. If the hill is big enough, try to position the jump right before the bottom third of the hill. That way, you'll have plenty of speed and a softer landing.
- Choose your style of jump. There are two basic types of snow jumps. The first type is a simple, unsupported pile of snow. This is easy to construct and will melt with the snow, meaning no cleanup. The second type is more complex to build, as it is supported. This type of snow jump has a structure covered with a layer of snow. The underlying structure can be a pile of logs, a skateboard ramp, some 2x4's... whatever is lying around.
- The unsupported style. Building the unsupported jump is pretty straightforward. Build up a pile of snow, and compact it. Use shovels to build up the snow, then use the sled with your weight on it to compact it down until it is rock hard. Repeat this process until the jump is of the correct height. You will be surprised how much snow can be compacted. If the temperature is below freezing, putting water over the jump can help it harden quickly. Some time is needed to let the liquid freeze.
- The supported style. Building this type of jump is more complex, not to mention more rewarding and possibly more dangerous if not constructed correctly. The basic idea is that there is a solid structure covered with about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of snow. If the jump is at the bottom of the hill, a pile of logs works very well. This setup will not work well on the hill as the logs have a tendency to roll and are not stable. If building on the slope of a hill, use a snowboard ramp covered in snow or a pile of 2x4s covered in snow (2x4s do not roll).
- Smooth the transition. Make sure that the transition from hill to jump is gentle and easy. The jump will not last long at all if it is an abrupt angle. Use compacted snow to smooth everything out.
- Enjoy your new snow jump! Just be sure to check the depth of snow on the top of it every once in a while to keep it safe.
Tips
- Make sure that the hill you are building the jump on will provide enough speed to make it over the jump.
- Metal snow shovels work best for compacting because they won't break like plastic shovels when you smack them into the snow.
- Try coating the track section before the jump with water. It will freeze and you will fly down the hill at super speed. Just be careful, because you won't be able to stop.)
- To compact snow as tight as possible, have someone step on the snow pile to compact it while you shovel in more snow.
- Skateboard ramps make the best type of snow jump if you have one. Launching children into the air is what they were made for...
- If you want big air, find a steep hill that is almost vertical. Build the jump there for major air!
- If you don't have the option of landing on the hill, then you might want to build a small landing to cushion your fall.
Warnings
- Use lots of snow
- Make sure the downhill area is clear
- Remember, the steeper the hill, the faster you go and the higher you will be launched into the air.
- It is very important to compact the snow, otherwise the sled will go straight through, probably knocking you off in the process.
- DO NOT let small children do this alone unsupervised
- Watch out for ice bumps, and watch out for rocks and holes. It really hurts to run into one of those things.
- It is also very important to have enough snow on top of the structure on a supported jump. You will be coming at this jump at high speed, and without sufficient snow you will plow straight into the solid support.
- It is highly recommended to use protective gear such as a helmet, pads, etc. whenever you are planning to fling yourself into the air...
- Don't make your jump bigger than you can handle
- DO NOT go down head first
