2014 snowcat meets

Two snowcats meets are scheduled for this season and are for all tracked cats of all kinds.
They are in Wyoming and Washington . this is a chance to run and test your build or just have fun. We welcome all kinds new or old. steel,aluminum,rubber or wood tracked just need to be legal.
Be sure to visit the websites listed and check out photos of past events.




maybe someone can give the details for the Wyoming meet??

What do you mean by it has to be "legal". I am asking because I do not have a title or vin# for my snowtrac. I am gong to bring it to the dmv to see if they will assign me one but that's not a guarantee they say.
Do you need a license or something to make it "legal".
I am hoping to come up to Leavenworth but want to make sure I can join in.
Has anyone else dealt with this before? I am in Oregon if that matters. Thanks.

Not having a snow cat, but I would think that it means brakes in operating condition and a parking brake. Which I think most snow cat owners would make sure about. It could mean that the exhaust should not have any leaks for the operators and passengers safety.

snowsurfer said:

What do you mean by it has to be "legal". I am asking because I do not have a title or vin# for my snowtrac. I am gong to bring it to the dmv to see if they will assign me one but that's not a guarantee they say.
I am in Oregon if that matters. Thanks.

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I have a letter from the administrator pf Oregon DMV: It's not a snowmobile. And they won't register nor title my snow-trac. Oregon Parks does the ATV permits. They say it could get a ATV permit, except due to the weight the ATV class it would fit in requires a DMV title and license. AAAARGH!!! BTW a a old ski front tucker WOULD be a snowmobile. The criteria in the State Statutes is "uses Skies to steer".

I guess we would need to get a temporary tag from WA to go up there.

what I was referring to when I said legal is having tracks.
The Jamboree will be unloading on private land and running on state forest roads that are snow in and designated as a closed road. Snowmobiles and snowcats are allowed on them unless it is closed for wildlife or other reasons.
last year the USFS officer at the entrance didn't check our cats for any license and told me he had no problem with us on the trail.
I have his name and email if your worried .
jim

Ok, thanks! I have been using mine with no problems both in Oregon and Washington. Well almost no problems. I did get pulled over by the forest service (Oregon) once on the way home. He just said the road I was on earlier has a 48" width limit and the snowmobile assoc. maintains it and I guess someone complained.... But he did say that I could take it other places that didn't have the width limit on it. There seem to be plenty of those around here too. He was actually stoked on the machine and gave me some good suggestions on where to take it.
I was going to try the dmv for title and all but so far as long as I don't have any problems, I'll keep running as is. Good to hear on the Jamboree that we just need the tracks etc! Thanks! Hope all works out so I can join you up there this year.

Cidertom said:

The criteria in the State Statutes is "uses Skies to steer".

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I know there's more than one way to interpret what you read, but I'm seeing the joystick controls being replaced with short skis. Does it require that those steering skis be in contact with the snow?

snowsurfer said:

Ok, thanks! I have been using mine with no problems both in Oregon and Washington. Well almost no problems. I did get pulled over by the forest service (Oregon) once on the way home. He just said the road I was on earlier has a 48" width limit and the snowmobile assoc. maintains it and I guess someone complained.... But he did say that I could take it other places that didn't have the width limit on it. There seem to be plenty of those around here too. He was actually stoked on the machine and gave me some good suggestions on where to take it.
I was going to try the dmv for title and all but so far as long as I don't have any problems, I'll keep running as is. Good to hear on the Jamboree that we just need the tracks etc! Thanks! Hope all works out so I can join you up there this year.

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I got stopped on a groomed trail while in my snow trac and was told I wasn't suppose to be on it and that I didn't pay for the grooming. He changed his tone when I said I did pay and pointed to my sticker on it. That was near Yakima.. I have found out each district seems to enforce and read the rules differently. In Washington when you register and pay the $25 you then get a numbered sticker and a parking permit for the snowpark.
The small fee is a cheap investment and helps the sport.
he wasn't a ranger but the guy running the groomer.
Our jamboree is on non groomed trails and we shouldn't meet any snowmobiles. Sometimes they will take a short cut and travel that road system. But not very often.
The owner of the private property that we'll unload at is the groomer operator and the pistenbully will be parked near us.
All he wants is to respect his property.
I would like to point out that our snowmobile license system puts 100% of the money back into it. The state gets none and gives us nothing. They tried to grab some and were reminded. They then backed off really fast. Were working on getting the gas tax back now. But that is a long shot. I am a member of the WSSA. Washington state snowmobile association
90% of the time no one even notices my sticker.
jim

Cidertom said:

I have a letter from the administrator pf Oregon DMV: It's not a snowmobile. And they won't register nor title my snow-trac. Oregon Parks does the ATV permits. They say it could get a ATV permit, except due to the weight the ATV class it would fit in requires a DMV title and license. AAAARGH!!! BTW a a old ski front tucker WOULD be a snowmobile. The criteria in the State Statutes is "uses Skies to steer".

I guess we would need to get a temporary tag from WA to go up there.

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I was once talking with a natural resources officer and the old bombardier buses are classified as snowmobiles because they are steered with skis. So he told me
As long as you steer it with a ski it's legal he said even if you took a short piece
Of ski and tied it to your steering wheel and used it to turn it you would be steering it
With a ski. Although perhaps the judge would interpret it differently.

you poor people, I just drive mine wherever I feel like it. I get no resistance some of the Nome Golivin were bitching about my cat on the trail till I pointed out they were impacting the trail more than I was they than backed off the mushers don't mind me out there as once again I don't impact the trails and I yield to them.

I have to throw in my 2 cents. Here in Wallace you can drive them right in town and on out to the trails, no trailer required as long as there is some snow. When I lived in town the officials were more than cooperative, more like encouraging me to join the local SAR.
Also, getting there is easy, an Interstate runs through it.
-Pat

Snowcat Pat said:

I have to throw in my 2 cents. Here in Wallace you can drive them right in town and on out to the trails, no trailer required as long as there is some snow. When I lived in town the officials were more than cooperative, more like encouraging me to join the local SAR.
Also, getting there is easy, an Interstate runs through it.
-Pat

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always have liked Wallace. Stayed a few last summer. had a blast.

snowsurfer said:

Ok, thanks! I have been using mine with no problems both in Oregon and Washington. Well almost no problems. I did get pulled over by the forest service (Oregon) once on the way home. He just said the road I was on earlier has a 48" width limit and the snowmobile assoc. maintains it and I guess someone complained.... But he did say that I could take it other places that didn't have the width limit on it. There seem to be plenty of those around here too. He was actually stoked on the machine and gave me some good suggestions on where to take it.
I was going to try the dmv for title and all but so far as long as I don't have any problems, I'll keep running as is. Good to hear on the Jamboree that we just need the tracks etc! Thanks! Hope all works out so I can join you up there this year.

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If you want to run in Washington look up RCW 46.16A030 TELL THEM YOU USE THE CAT TO GET IN AND OUT OF YOUR CABIN AND YOU ARE NOT FOR HIRE THE REST WILL BE GREASE !

Sounds good. I haven't had any problems yet but I have cabins all over the place!