Worlds Snowiest City - What Snowmachine to Buy?

[keysersoce]

So I just moved from Georgia to the worlds snowiest city, Valdez Alaska. I am surrounded by mountains and average 27 feet of snow per year; more in the mountains. Needless to say, we have a lot of powder. So, the natural question is, what type of snowmachine should I buy?

The locals say I need at least a 144 track, but that's the extent of the information I'm given. I'm a bit of a research freak, so I need more information than that.

I would like a snowmachine that can ride myself and one other person up the mountain, and the other person can snowboard down. Think of it as a personal ski lift. But, I would also like to do some "cross country" trips to other towns in Alaska which is supposedly popular here. But the majority of the riding will be in the mountains.

I've read a lot of good things about the 2012 and 2013 ski doo summits, but those only have one seat. Would I be able to add a second seat, and would 800cc be enough for two people riding up a mountain? Also, will that machine be ok for trail riding and/or "cross country" trips? I think the paddles on it is 2.5". I'm worried that may be too large for trail riding?

The ski doo expedition looks great as well. It has two seats, 1200 cc, but I don't know how well that will fare riding up the mountain, and in deep powder. It weighs around 700 lbs so that may be a bit heavy in powder and going up mountains. I think it also only has 1.5" paddles.


What make and model would you choose? Any other suggestions? Polaris, arctic cat, etc?

Thanks a lot for any help you can offer!

[dlaine]

One thing to keep in mind is that the 1200cc is a 4-stroke (about 130hp) while with 800cc is 2-stroke (claims 160+hp). The 800cc 2-stroke is lighter and more powerful...

You can add an extra seat to any single-seat skidoo (called the +1 seat) will run you about $500 I think. I have one for mine and it works well - you can take it off and put it on in seconds.

The larger lug track will only give you problems when riding on icy or crusty compacted snow. The larger the lug the harder it is to kick up powder which is needed to lubricate the slides and cool off the engine (heat exchangers are under the tunnel and need snow / snow dust hitting them). You can get 'scratchers' to help with crusty / icy conditions but it is something you need to think about - the icier it is the less well the scratchers work. If you are mostly in powder this isn't something you need to worry about.

My guess is you really want a summit if playing in powder is what you want to do. The longer the track the better it goes through deep snow but the harder it is to handle in compacted or lower snow conditions (on packed trails for example). If you are planning on considerable time on trail go for the 146", even mix of trail and powder go for the 154", exclusively in deep powder think about the 163" but you may be better off starting with a 154" anyway (depends on how quickly you pick up on learning machines). Any of them will work well.

Polaris also have good mountain sleds but I am not as familiar with the particulars of the models. For a long time the AC M-series defined what a good mountain sled was but (in my opinion anyway) they let the other two catch and pass them over the last 5 years. If you are looking at used a 5 year old m-cat would be a good way to go.

Yammi makes a reliable engine but don't plan on going off trail much unless you like digging heavy objects out of deep snow... If you really find yourself leaning this way let me know - I can give you more details to talk you out of it. I spent a week on a Nytro MTX in ID last winter (he preferred to ride his '98 700 MAX that he turned into a mountain sled).

In fact finding a used one in good shape might be the best way to go. Pick something up in the 4-5K range, hook up with local riders and find out what you really like to do and how you like to ride. Most people will let you trade off and try out a bunch of different sleds and a year or two down the line spend the big bucks on a new one when you have a really good idea of what is out there, what you like and how you plan to use it. There is a huge element of personal preference at work.

A quick example of personal preference - back in Feb 2007 a friend and I flew to Cooke City MT for a weekend of riding. We rented a Skidoo and a Polaris. The plan was to keep switching back and forth so we could get a feel for a couple of different sleds. Before lunch the first day I decided I really liked the Summit a lot better than the RMK. Which worked out well because he decided he liked the RMK way better than the Summit! No fighting over which sled we got to use the rest of the trip!

Find some locals to talk to about where to ride and find out what they are riding. If you settle in with a group of riders it may be worthwhile to get what they get even if you think there is a better sled out there. They will know the quirks and problems of their sleds, know how to fix them and it really helps when you are broken down out in the middle of nowhere that you all use the same spare parts!

Good luck and let us know what you decide!
Dave

[BCDan]

In the winter in Alaska, a snowmobile isn't just for fun. It's sometimes the only means of transportation. Best advice is to talk to the people that live there and buy the sled they tell you to buy. When it's -50f and you need to go somewhere, you REALLY want something reliable that will start and get you from point A to point B. The more dependable, the better. Parts are hard to come by and will be VERY expensive when you have to buy them. Dlane makes a great point about buying what the locals are riding, having the ability to borrow parts will keep you on the snow.

My sister and her husband lived in McGrath, AK for a few years. Snow isn't just weather, it's a lifestyle. The locals know how to do it right. Heed their advice!