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Best use of a snowcat?

1boringguy

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Not that it wasn't, but perhaps also trying to get the attention of those young invincible backcountry skiers in the Sun Valley - Stanley area I suspect. I have a niece who would be one of them. Worked on me anyway. I saw a video of two foot break on a single tap, and then mother nature added another 20 inches that was fairly wet on top of that.

I was disappointed about not going up higher, but a couple things come to mind.

First, when I was getting my pilots license many years ago my instructor made quite a point of the fact that ntsb investigations almost always found a series of events/decisions that lead up to a mishap, rarely just one.

And second from Darwin; "It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself."

So we adapted 😁
 

Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Speaking of Darwin...

There is a news item on ksl.com about a backcountry skier who was caught in an avalanche earlier today:
"Sometime between 10:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., a 35-year-old man was skiing in the Thomas Fork area of Neffs Canyon above the Olympus Cove area, when he was caught in an avalanche, said Unified Police Sgt. Melody Cutler.

The man, who was skiing alone, suffered a broken leg and an arm injury and was buried up to his waist, she said. He yelled for help for approximately 30 to 45 minutes before his cries were heard by an off-duty Unified Fire Authority EMT who happened to be recreating in the area."

Really? Going back country skiing by yourself? What could possibly go wrong?
 

Thefatsquatch

Active member
Speaking of Darwin...

There is a news item on ksl.com about a backcountry skier who was caught in an avalanche earlier today:
"Sometime between 10:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., a 35-year-old man was skiing in the Thomas Fork area of Neffs Canyon above the Olympus Cove area, when he was caught in an avalanche, said Unified Police Sgt. Melody Cutler.

The man, who was skiing alone, suffered a broken leg and an arm injury and was buried up to his waist, she said. He yelled for help for approximately 30 to 45 minutes before his cries were heard by an off-duty Unified Fire Authority EMT who happened to be recreating in the area."

Really? Going back country skiing by yourself? What could possibly go wrong?
Ok, and that’s a fair assessment. But often the best skiing conditions are precisely the worst avy conditions...
 

iceberg210

New member
Ladder Transporter (maybe need to install a rack)
 

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Travler

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
boring , I bet we don’t live far from each other , I get to Silver city a lot , just not in the winter yet , send me a PM travler
 

Travler

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
looks like an adventure in travel to me , did you change the engine in the tucker , it sure looks nice
 

1boringguy

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Just a side note. This is my niece from Sun Valley that I alluded to earlier, climbing glaciers down in Patagonia at the moment. It's their summer of course. ☀️

Proud of her. Adventure is the frosting on the pop-tart of life, whether you get there with grousers or crampons.

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1boringguy

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Well I've debated and watched what's coming down the pipe for a couple of years now as far as a good plan b mode of transportation, in the event that Little Capt and I have a problem we can't repair on site, while we're by ourselves about 15 miles from the truck. BFTs post above kind of re-motivated me since we're often out there by ourselves. I like to think we are somewhat prepared to take care of ourselves for a couple days out there if need be, but if we end up snowshoeing out one day before I decide on an alt mode of transportation, I'm going to be thinking to myself the entire way, 'what kind of an idiot'. Some of the options we considered have some good plus, like ease of packing with us, some also have negatives, like have to come from Russia. In the end, we already had a Yamaha ttr 110 with very few hours on it and Timbersled makes a snowbike kit for that size kids bike, and Lil Capt can ride it for several years yet. It's not a powder assassin but it could carry us both back down our tracks a LOT faster than snowshoes. So we went that route for now.

The install was finished yesterday so brought it home last night. Mother Nature provided some snow by morning so that worked out great. Just have to work out how we're going to load/unload and haul it on the cat now.
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Travler

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
1BG , that’s probably a good start , as you might guess , some of the places I go are way off the grid , I always Carry a Garmin in Reach , and I also Carry a Satellite phone , I always make sure someone I can rely on is aware I am going on another adventure, my 13 year old son goes a lot with me in the summer, we always carry some food and water also as well as our hunting back packs , I also have a trauma first aid kit

just some thoughts
 

Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Well I've debated and watched what's coming down the pipe for a couple of years now as far as a good plan b mode of transportation, in the event that Little Capt and I have a problem we can't repair on site, while we're by ourselves about 15 miles from the truck. BFTs post above kind of re-motivated me since we're often out there by ourselves. I like to think we are somewhat prepared to take care of ourselves for a couple days out there if need be, but if we end up snowshoeing out one day before I decide on an alt mode of transportation, I'm going to be thinking to myself the entire way, 'what kind of an idiot'. Some of the options we considered have some good plus, like ease of packing with us, some also have negatives, like have to come from Russia. In the end, we already had a Yamaha ttr 110 with very few hours on it and Timbersled makes a snowbike kit for that size kids bike, and Lil Capt can ride it for several years yet. It's not a powder assassin but it could carry us both back down our tracks a LOT faster than snowshoes. So we went that route for now.

The install was finished yesterday so brought it home last night. Mother Nature provided some snow by morning so that worked out great. Just have to work out how we're going to load/unload and haul it on the cat now.View attachment 160248View attachment 160249View attachment 160250
1BG,

That is fantastic! Lil' Captain's smile is priceless.
 

1boringguy

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
1BG , that’s probably a good start , as you might guess , some of the places I go are way off the grid , I always Carry a Garmin in Reach , and I also Carry a Satellite phone , I always make sure someone I can rely on is aware I am going on another adventure, my 13 year old son goes a lot with me in the summer, we always carry some food and water also as well as our hunting back packs , I also have a trauma first aid kit

just some thoughts
Travler,

I don't have the sat phone, but I always take the Garmin in reach, a My Medic first aid kit, it's capabilities probably exceed my skills, snowshoes, quite a few tools, battery powered drill impact wrench ect, indoor safe propane heater and cans enough for several days, knife, food, chainsaw, snow shovel, extra winter clothing, roll of plastic, balljoint, electric fuel pump, filters, track parts, and a firearm. And now a snowbike if we're by ourselves. Hopefully that and a cool head would give us a high probably of getting home in good shape. But I keep learning, that's half the fun.

BFT,

Thanks. He's getting to an age where it's fun to see him enjoy doing more and more things.
 

1boringguy

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I considered just using ramps, which will probably work ok on the Patrol as the bed is about a foot lower than my Tucker, and the tracks on the Patrol are easier to climb as you load the bike. Doesn't sound like much, but the difference in angles, reach, ect with 7 foot loading ramps is meaningful.

I recall seeing a Tucker with a bed crane for service work, but it looked pretty utilitarian rather than recreational. But still don't want to add insult to injury by getting hurt by the mode b transportation after the mode a gave me troubles. And any other times it's just hard to look cool with your snowbike laying on top of you while you're loading/unloading it, right.

So here's my first attempt. I'll see how it goes in the field. When not in use the top slides off and stores in the tool box. And when not hauling the snowbike the stake bed sides all slip right back on, will just have a different tool box.

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1boringguy

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
that was time well spent , lil Capt will remember that for a long time , we had about the same over here

Yea he loves to go, doesn't matter if it was to the top of Everest, or down the ditch banks.

I always figured Harry Chapin got a little to much correct with Cats In The Cradle, so we always try to make as much 'then' happen as we can.
 

sno-drifter

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Yea he loves to go, doesn't matter if it was to the top of Everest, or down the ditch banks.

I always figured Harry Chapin got a little to much correct with Cats In The Cradle, so we always try to make as much 'then' happen as we can.
This song was the total basis for raising my kids. And it worked out great. "Raise your kids and spoil your grandkids. The alternative is to spoil your kids, and you know how the rest goes."
 
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