2012 Useage & Pics

[DAVENET]

Ok guys. Seventy percent of us across the country are looking out our windows at grass on February 23rd. And most of us have only had dustings and minute snow fall amounts to date. You boys out in the Rockies & Northwest are finally getting some frozen precipitation.

How about some current pics and vids to keep the rest of us 1) sain, 2) motivated to keep working on our projects and 3) not to be tempted to sell our cats due to lack of snow!

So, come on, get those GoPro camersa rolling. please .. .

 

[JimVT]

first of the week you should see some "track party" pictures.

 

[Alaska Snow Cat]

We have just under 5' on the level and it is lightly snowing this morning. I groom just over 150 miles a week for a total of about 1500 miles for the season which is a little more than half way over. I can't imagine winter without snow.

 

[mattfidaho]

crappy pics, but it was last night... the viz was 100% better that night then it was during the day... our area had reports of 100mph gusts. :-/ that is keeping me busy

 

[teledawg]

Got plenty of snow here...

 

[mattfidaho]

I had to look at that pic twice... I normally only see krustis covered in snow... but thats because they dont run...

 

[trackhead]

Yeah, it's not "real" snowcat, but for $1200 for the vehicle, and $2900 for the tracks, it does pretty well. Once it gets locking differentials..............

Vehicle weight is about 1800lbs. PSI is somewhere around .75. Going to make some mods this summer to get the PSI closer to .60, then lock the rear, and maybe front differential.

More pics and vid here.
http://www.fritzrips.com/2012/02/24/samurai-ski-day/

 

[deepmud]

Got plenty of snow here...

hey cool that's Hatcher Pass

I have another not-snow-cat, with ancient Unatrac assemblies for my not-Samurai....

The Sammy is still pretty light, even with the VW TDI-M (manual inject pump conversion), extended frame and Toyota axles/transmission so I figure with the big tracks I'll be at less than 1 psi - maybe even as low as .5 to .6-ish. The tracks are like 250 apiece so they add a lot (like 25% or so) to the total vehicle weight.

This video of the same set of Unatracs on a much heavier full-size Jeep (in Hatcher Pass ) show they are very effective. There is even a "stuck"

video link-piccy....

 

[wesley]

At camp near Big Bay, MI. Looking out the window at my "ride"

 

[Alaska Snow Cat]

30" fell over the weekend. These photos were taken Sunday morning and then another 12+" fell after that.

 

[DAVENET]

Now we're talking!

 

[Mtn-Track]

I do believe the Alaskans win this round!

 

[DAVENET]

Speaking of . . . OK Stu, we've only seen two pics of your rig away from your garage (last year). Have you had a chance to get out this year?

 

[Mtn-Track]

Speaking of . . . OK Stu, we've only seen two pics of your rig away from your garage (last year). Have you had a chance to get out this year?

Not yet!
Snow's been real thin up high until recently and even had very limited riding with the sleds out of our cabin this year. We plan to take the O'l Tucker up there next week though, and on the new trailer I built for it as well!

 

[DAVENET]

Same here, but supposed to finally get 7-10 inches Thursday. There has been so little snow that a couple of guys drove all the way into our camp in upstate NY- which no one can ever remember doing in the winter. And that covers the past 80 years of camp logs.

 

[Mtn-Track]

Yep, we were sharing our snowmobile riding area with rubber-tired ATV's a couple of weeks ago....

 

[mattfidaho]

CLick for video,

Cutting a road today

 

[Mtn-Track]

Great video!

Just thinking, with all the Avy's we've had in CO, WY, and UT this year, have you had any issues with the slopes you're cutting? Snow in the video looks kinda' 'slab-like'. Sure as hell don't want to hear of you and your cat getting cought in one....!!!

Nice work, but be safe, my friend!

 

[mattfidaho]

So far this year I haven't had any major issues, but it is in the front of my mind while out there.

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

i took the family out for a ride to watch the iron doggers come in and yesterday i took some clients out for a ride up the side of anvil mountain to see muskox the day was about 0 but it felt good with the ultraviolet radiation you get off the sun this time of the year after the big blow the last couple of days the snow just isn't as soft now made for slow going in places

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

more pics

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

try this again

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

last pic at the white alice site didn't down load

 

[Northcoast]

Wow ! So hard to believe those ox can survive there. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[JimVT]

Don,
Looks like they never tore the site down. Isnt that a long drive from town?
Jim

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

no its right behind town the plan now is to abate the site of hazmat and keep the towers as they are a well known land mark that can be seen from long distances and yes them animals don't burn any more energy than they have to but don't worry if they need to they can get up and move fast the other thing is they eat a lettus looking vegitation off the rocks makes you wonder how they can survive on that stuff

 

[Cletis]

The wife and I took in the muskox ranch there in Palmer, Ak last year. Pretty cool animal. They were in season and the bulls were fairly aggressive. Rest of the time they say they are a really docile animal. Thought I was gonna have to have a talk with the anti-hunting, extremely liberal tree huggin young gal that was giving the tour and her (unwanted) point of view!!

Cletis

 

[wesley]

Its good that you save things like that. We have an old abandoned ore dock here in Marquette. The city wanted to tear it down. Then a devloper wanted to make it into a restaurant/marina. Finnally, the citizens spoke up and told them to leave it as is. It is part of our city history and a great landmark. Oh, by the way we got hit by a nice little storm yesterday 7 inches, and expect more this weekend

 

[redsqwrl]

Wesley if you are hard up for entertainment you can load up and meet me near iron mountain. I am going to have my first real outing in that heavy wet snow they got.
Yes there will be photos. I am ankle deep in mud loading up frost is gone. What a winter.

 

[shopman]

Finally got to get the rebuilt 4T10 Power Selector out on some runs! Have hauled some stuff up to the cabin a few times, but got quite a bit of snow 2+ feet in the last couple weeks!!


Ran into some friends getting ready to ski up to their cabin (a mile or more past my place) had their sled, 3 year old behind it on a tether and her skis, and mama with their 6 month old in her coat, and of course the dog... Asked if they wanted a ride up and they were up for it (never been in a snowcat) and I just wanted to go up where there was even more snow!





There was at least 4 feet of unpacked snow in their drive and our baby drove right through it all up to unload them - it was great! Then after I dropped them off and helped check out their TeePee and little cabin...

I drove back down the mountain and took this little video... a beautiful day and beautiful drive and she ran PERFECT!

http://youtu.be/GI_TiwNlEYg