Congratulations to Rich and Zack for carrying Upstate Snow for 14 years across Upstate New York and beyond! It is amazing what you have been able to do!
It started with a dream in the summer of 2012. I had just left my job selling at WUTR/WFXV to go sell on my own. Since I could sell on my own, I thought about how the internet was doing at the time. So many new websites were coming out. Dude Perfect was only 3 years old at the time and the Peterson Farm Brother’s had just hit it big with I’m Farming and I Grow It earlier that summer. I knew of all the times I had to launch something I would hold on to for the rest of my life, this was the time. I got everything ready to go and on September 15, 2012, 14 years ago today, I officially launched Upstate Snow. I went that weekend up to Snow Bash and hit up every single person I could. I talked to hundreds of people. At least. Many of them blew me off. Some took attention. A few actually listened to me and wanted to hear more. I had very quickly, in the coming weeks, landed very big and important sponsors whom stayed with me for years. Some of them still staying with me today! Excell Motorsports. Curve Industries. Allstate Insurance. ILSNOW.com. Sledfreak.com. Ohio Ridge Riders. Enjem’s Flooring America. Southern Tug Hill Sno-Riders. And even though he was young at the time, less than 10 years old at the start of this journey, he was on board too.
If it was not for those first folks that took a chance on me early, that helped me build audience early, that helped us gain attention in those first few winters, we probably would not have made it this far. We reached 1,000 fans on Facebook relatively quickly. We reached 3,000 just before December 2014 when we had to step back from this operation for a length of time. When we resumed full time operations in October of 2019, we had nearly 10,000 people on board. In the last 7 years. we have more than doubled it to more than 21,000 on Facebook. Other Social Media platforms are in development at this time.
What about the future? We have no idea how much further we will grow, how many more rides we will be able to go on, and how many more times we will have to enjoy this sport. One this is for certain: We are so thankful for snowmobiling! This sport during the winter has given me the opportunity to develop many great relationships including with Darrin Harr, Bill Kardas, and Jim Duncan, all great Meteorologists in their domains.
What you can expect from us? WE WILL BE HERE. PERIOD. END OF STORY. We will ALWAYS support safe snowmobiling. Maintain safe speeds and distances at all times. Don’t tailgate. Don’t ride left. Ride right! And arrive alive. Never drink and ride. Zero tolerance on that since the start and we are still there. No problem if you want to drink AFTER your rides! If anything, PLEASE DO! Just don’t be on the trails with that “buzz” in you. Nobody wants that, especially me. Please support your local snowmobile clubs, organizations and NYSSA! They all could use extra help this year.
This sport has gotten to be SO EXPENSIVE! When we started in 2012, it was easy to find sleds cheap and ride them cheap. In 2018, we got ourselves two, 2005 sleds with a trailer for $5K. Ran them three seasons until we left in 2020 then sold them to friends. You try to do that now? Fudegaboudit! You are talking 10K PER SLED just to start and that’s USED. Closer to $15K to $20K for brand new sleds now. Almost as much as a BRAND NEW CAR! We have no idea what that cost will ultimately do to the sport. We can only imagine.
SNOW BASH WEEKEND FORECAST
Here is the bottom line: The earlier, THE BETTER! Friday should be decent. Saturday with increasing clouds not as much but this is still by far the better of the two days of the weekend. Some showers possible in the afternoon. Sunday? Not looking good. AT ALL. SHOWERS! In the 50s to low 60s. Wet. Yikes. Pray that changes!
Thanks for letting us share thoughts with you. We don’t get a chance to do this often. But when we do…
Zack and Rich Lupia
UpstateSnow.com
September 15, 2026
PLEASE THANK OUR SPONSORS FOR THE 2026-27 SEASON!
Business Sponsor
Enjem’s Flooring America
Ohio Ridge Riders
Personal Member
Charles A. Klesse Sr.
