FARGO, N.D. — Roger Kram and his son Wyatt have been around snowmobiles all their lives. Specifically, two 1973 John Deere snowmobiles.
“You grow up on it,” said Wyatt Kram, 35. “This sled here, I grew up riding.”
The two set out Monday to re-create the route of the International 500 snowmobile endurance race that went from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the Twin Cities back in the late 1960s through the early ’80s. The event was considered a highlight of the St. Paul Winter Carnival in that era.
“It was Dad’s idea,” Wyatt Kram, smiling, said of his 67-year-old father. “Aside from the ride planning, we rebuilt all of our sleds from the ground up. Every bearing, nut and bolt has been touched. So, they’re mechanically ready to go.”
It is also the 50th anniversary of the John Deere snowmobiles, which was one of a number of snowmobiles that hit the market in the 1970s. In the infancy of snowmobile development at the time, there were more brands of sleds than cars. Old TV ads from the ’70s show the popularity of the sleds.
This grueling 500-mile snowmobile trip is about more than just the route. It’s about creating an experience for the father and son to share together during the weeklong trek.
“It’s going to make a lot of memories. I’m going to look back on this and say, ‘I’m glad I did it,'” Wyatt Kram said. “It might not be easy, and we’re going to be sore when we’re done, but I’ll look back and we’ll have a lot of memories from that.”
“(I am) looking forward to this,” Roger Kram said. “It’s (the) camaraderie. We work together a lot — all the time — (and) I live only a mile away.”
It’s not just days on the John Deere sleds. The elder Kram is a Navy veteran, and the duo are also raising money for the honor guard members who come to pay respects at every funeral of every veteran. Specifically, the fundraising goal is constructing a memorial chapel at the Fargo National Cemetery.
“It’s kind of a crazy deal, 500 miles, but we’ll give it our best,” Wyatt Kram said. Rather than ending in St. Paul on Saturday, the Krams will conclude their trek in Elk River, the site of a vintage snowmobile expo.
They’ll also be supported by a mechanic hauling a heated trailer equipped with tools and spare parts.
To follow the father-and-son snowmobile journey, go to their Facebook page. To buy raffle tickets for a vintage snowmobile they rebuilt to help their cemetery chapel project, go to www.i-500challenge.com.
Copyright 2022 Pioneer Press.