We went out riding yesterday and about 30 minutes out following beautiful trails with 12" of fresh powder on top my buddy commented on the radio how could anyone have too much snow. We were commenting on one of the fellas posts about western New Foundland. It was just awesome. Fresh snow untouched by the groomer.

Coming up to a large hill I noticed a few sleds had turned around and the trail ahead was untouched by sled or machine. I had ridden this area a few times and once already this year so on we went. Well as soon as we crested the hill and headed down into the valley we were met with incredible non stop powder on the trail level with my seat. We ran near flat out up and down the hills braking trail. I completely, thats completely as in totally hidden under fluff burried my sled once as I floated off to the right on a steep grade and put her solidly in. I had to do dig and high speed reverse back down and take another longer run. I had to idle back and forth until I had enogh room to get a start back up for a good run. You couldn't even stop or blip the throttle without sinking. We eventually chickened out and jumped off and rode around the area. The entrance back onto the trail had a wall of snow piled 10 ft high blocking it from the road. It was just too much fresh snow. I have never riden anywhere outside of our area so I've never experienced snow like that. Several fellas commented on the fact that the snow was just too deep in spots to run for long. You had no floatation whatsoever. It was more like riding a jet ski. Doing the lean and turn like the mountain riders except with a trail sled. My .88 barely moved her along.

5 hrs later we were bumping along over a thin trail not 30 miles to the west. Funny how the snow can pick on a specific area and let her have it full tilt while leaving fields bare not 1/2 hr away.

Believe it or not that short hr and a half or so cost me a half tank of fuel.

As a lower Ontario rider with no experiece in powder over 18" this was a total blast. I was totally whipped by the shear amount of riding required to keep her going. Actually towards the end I wasn't so sure we were even going to make it out. A few of the hills we just squeaked over the top. With the narrow bush trails there was not alot of room for floating off the side.

How much snow do you think is too much and how deep will you still break trail?

I think it was awsome but I'm sure for some of you northern and coast riders this is normal.

Call me a wimp if you want, but as a trail rider it left me grinning!

clearly it depends on the sled...

my REV handles the deep snow like a mountain sled (I think its the precision skis) 12-24" really is no problem... had a great time the other day when we got about 24" of snow in 5 hours, all while we were out riding...

I was riding with an F7 and that thing just sank to the bottom like a rock, very poor in the deep, last year I had a Viper and it sucked too, the front would dig in and actually push snow right up the hood and into your face, not deep snow friendly at all...

so it really depends on your ride as to how much is too much!

oh yeah, I have a 1.25" track too and that helps a bunch for traction!

Scott S i envy you really bad right now. I don't think there is such a thing as to much. Then again if we go snow here like they do in the mountains I'd be in trouble. The best day of riding i've had so far was with a group of about 7 guys playing out in a valley climbing the hills on the sides with about a 1 1/2ft of fresh stuff or more on top of a 1/2 base or so. I think we each got stuck 4 times both ways minimum on a 20 mile stretch. We enjoyed it so much we went back the same way and did the same thing over again. The longer the track and the bigger the lug the better this 1 3/8inch track seems to do alot better then the .85s i've had. So far in about a 1ft of fresh stuff that i've had this year the F7 seems to do about the same as my zr with 121 did.

I was riding with my buddy on his new 700 Edge XC SP. It was better but we were still definately under the snow. Not much floatation at all. You had to stand straight up and lean forward just to see. The snow was like a hurricane over the hood. My sled and I were totally white. It was all I could do to keep my shield free of snow and keep her moving. It was plowing straight in and you could see the smooth surface of the snow hitting the hood below the headlight. It looked like the ski's weren't even out front. Not a ripple in the surface or anything. Like I said before, I've never seen anything like it before. If I ever get a chance to mountain ride I'm there. It was awsome.

How much is too much?

It depends on what type of riding you want to do, what time of day it is, and how miany mailes you want to cover.

We were out Thursday in western Newfoundland and there was definatly too much snow to start getting off the trails. Any kind of a hill and you would get stuck. It was fun playing around on the bogs or getting off on the side of the trail, but I tried to break an uphill trail and didn't have a prayer.

After dark though, you couldn't leave the broken trail because you wouldn't be able to see anything. Too much snow.

It was alot of fun though. So soft, and we were floating around like we were on surf boards.

I wouldn't want a Rev for playing around here. There are alot of them around, and the owners all admit that they're not worth sh*t off-trail.

i had a 670 with a 1.5 paddle track and 7 inch wide skis..it was incredible in the powder for a 121....only problem was you always had to kinda be moving a bit and not stop when in the deep stuff,if you needed to stop you had to circle around back into your old track...thats where a longer 136 or 144 is nice...they float so well...the skis made a big difference also,kept the front end floating and stopped it from knifeing in when turning..

"rev handles powder lika a mountain sled" -- no offence buddy but obviously you havn't driven a real mountain sled.

I'm thinking it's the type of snow you're on as much or more than the sled you're on. Freshly fallen, dry, puffy, lake effect snow can make the going rough no matter what you're on. It acts more like water. You're used to the snow going under you and supplying flotation for your sled so it stays on top. The lake effect stuff thinks nothing of parting and letting you just burrow through it. It's something that has to be experienced to be believed. Parking your sled 4' from the side of the well beaten trail with snow level even with the bottom of your windshield not hard at all....if you have never been in it, it really is quite different. My 136" SKS won't get/stay on top. A whole new set of riding rules...good fun, unless you are trying to get somewhere.

AL

AL

Originally posted by konkinj@Jan 18 2003, 11:37 PM
"rev handles powder lika a mountain sled" -- no offence buddy but obviously you havn't driven a real mountain sled.
I was going to say the same thing :withstupid:

depends on what the lug height is, i have a 1.4 on my zr 800 and it will go thur alot more snow then the old .85. i have heard of people going out t o the mountains and putting 3inchers on there 121s

I haven't found any snow that's too deep for my ZL SS yet. As long as I maintain enough velocity to float it does just fine. I've been in powder that's over waist-deep, and as long as I don't slow down I'm fine. Hills are another story...

my REV handles the deep snow like a mountain sled

Keep dreaming. :angry: I also don't think that 12-24 is deep . deep snow is when you step off your sled and go to your chest. Just my opinion.

I was out yesterday in the deep powder and alot of drifts. I broke alot of new trails and some uphill trails on My SKS 700. There was a guy on a Rev that got stuck alot trying to follow my track. And I don't consider the SKS to be a mountian sled. more of a long track trail sled. Now there was a guy that we met on an RMK 800. . I'd like to see a Rev including the new summit try and follow it through the powder. just awsome to watch it climb.

And as for the guys who have Rx-1's Bring a shovel. the guy that we saw was just like a snowplow. and man it was hard to get moving again.

Originally posted by highlandergerman@Jan 19 2003, 11:43 PM
depends on what the lug height is, i have a 1.4 on my zr 800 and it will go thur alot more snow then the old .85. i have heard of people going out t o the mountains and putting 3inchers on there 121s
Did you mean 3 inch lugs?? I've never even heard of those!! Thats extreme!