Test ride: Ski-Doo electric snowmobiles debut in Colorado

What's happening: The future of recreational snow travel just debuted at Grand Adventures outside Winter Park

• The outfitter is one of just five locations in the United States where you can ride electric-powered snowmobiles made by Ski-Doo.

How it works: The machines use a level 2 charger, like a car, and can charge in less than three hours. It's lightweight with a push-button start that beeps once, giving it the feel of a larger kids' Power Wheel.

• It is designed for short-distance, on-trail tours with a maximum speed of 60kph, or roughly 37mph. The battery range is roughly 50 kilometers, or 31 miles.

Quick take: The Grand Touring Electric machines are no louder than a washing machine, John found on a recent test ride, and quiet enough to have conversations with your passenger.

• Bonus: At the end of the ride, you don't smell of gasoline exhaust from a traditional machine.

💭 My thought bubble: The electric sled's speed and range limits will keep most riders — including me — on a traditional snowmobile for now.

• But the new machines are perfect for wild and sensitive areas, like Yellowstone National Park, where the quiet of a snow-covered landscape is the allure.