I've been eyeballing a standing dead red oak for several years now (it's the dead half of a dual-trunk tree). I haven't been in a hurry to take it down as it's not in the most easily accessible location for either the snowmobile or the ATV, plus standing dead oak is usually fine for a long time. Fast forward to earlier this month, and after some significant winds, the top part of the tree came off and I noticed it was starting to get punky, so I figured it was time. I have a well-trodden path through the woods that I take the dog on, and with the lack of snow we've seen lately, the trail has gotten iced over. This made for (relatively) easy dragging of the tree sections to where I could load them in the trailer. It got above freezing today as well, which meant the sled would get better traction in the snow for pulling the loaded trailer. Not the largest scrounge (about a foot in diameter at the base), but I'll take all the long-dead red oak I can get. Now there's a bit more oak in the wood lot ready for processing and any day combining firewood scrounging and the snowmobile is a good day in my book.
"Fuzzy" is a good way to describe it. I'll have a plethora of red oak once I start processing the caterpillar-killed trees this year, but those will take at least two years to season (maybe longer). I've had good luck with "fuzzy" red oak seasoning in a year or less, so that's a win to add to the wood for next season and 26/27. Still have a way to go to get back on the 3-year plan.
Love the pictures and equipment. I have little to no snowmobile experience and have always wondered if the skis pull harder or easier than a tire that can rotate?
Interesting question. I don’t have the experience of someone like Rope up in Alaska, but I look at the snowmobile/trailer as another tool in the toolbox depending on the weather conditions. I mainly set this up to be able to scrounge during the winter in areas that are open to snowmobiles but do not allow motor vehicle access during the warm months. It opened additional areas of scrounging that I would otherwise not have access to. I added the ski frame to the Otter sled this winter since the snowmobile club that grooms the trails was giving me the stink eye when I was dragging the sled by itself (they cater mostly to tourists and as far as I know, in my area I’m the only person that tows a sled/hauls firewood during the winter with a snowmobile). As far as the difference between the snowmobile and a wheeled vehicle, there are variables. For example, the snowmobile gives me access to terrain where the snow is too deep for wheeled vehicles, but I (personally) don’t think it necessarily pulls better/easier than say an ATV and trailer (with or without chains). The area on my property where I was running the snowmobile today was over snow that is well packed. Yesterday I would have used the ATV with chains, as the snow was hard-packed and icy. With the warmer temperatures today, two inches of fresh, slushy snow last night, and a soft snowpack (due to the warmer temps), the ATV with a loaded trailer would have struggled or gotten stuck, whereas the snowmobile just floated over the snow. A downside to the snowmobile setup is that it does great on the straightaways, and empty it handles the corners with no problem, but when the trailer is loaded down, it wants to push you in a straight direction sometimes, so you have to know how to lean/shift your weight to manage the corners/curves. The snowmobile is 11-1/2 feet long plus another 10 feet for the trailer, so that factors in as well. Not sure if any of that really answers your question.
You mention the logs are in an area that you can't use an atv to get them, but you can get them with the snowmobile. Does it make sense to move a number of logs with the snowmobile to an area that you can then go to get them in warmer months with the atv?
I may do that in the future (with the 50+ trees that have to come down). The wood I hauled out today was inaccessible to both the snowmobile and the ATV. I hauled that wood out by hand to the tree line where I could load it on the trailer. With all the trees that I will have to take down eventually on the property, I plan on cutting a trail through the woods so that I can use either vehicle depending on the season. On my property, once I'm out of the woods it's not that much farther to the woodlot so unless I'm skidding out large logs with the snowmobile, so far, it's been just as easy to bring the wood over with the snowmobile. If it's larger logs, I'll leave them at the tree line until I can get them with the tractor or ATV or cut them into rounds to haul with the snowmobile. For the other areas off my property (such as the snowmobile trails through the national forest), I haven't staged anything since it would be up for grabs to the first person that saw it.
Winters have been pretty subpar here as well lately. I didn't even bother putting the blower on the tractor this winter and have managed with what few storms we've had using the back blade on the tractor and the walk-behind blower. The largest snowstorms we had last winter were late season and the ground wasn't frozen, so it was a mess trying to use the large blower on a dirt driveway. We used to be one of the last (if not the last) places to have groomed snowmobile trails east of the Mississippi with snowmobiling sometimes going into late April. Now I see more and more people selling their sleds to buy ATVs or SXSs.
Love that sled trailer setup! I hear you on the lack of snow; we see it at our place in Southern VT. Last year, we put less than a mile on each sled. We too are currently thinking of getting a side by side. But the sleds are older (early 2000’s), paid for and in good shape. Might as well keep them just in case.
Mine is a 2015 but likewise, I've hardly put any miles on it the last few years. But it's been paid off for a long time and I don't see any reason to get rid of it. I have a Polaris Sportsman I use around the property, but I sold the Jeep last year and I'm thinking of getting a General this year (miss riding the trails). Lots of trails not that far from me, including Jericho State Park, and I think I would get a lot more use out of it during the year than the snowmobile. I've had a couple Rangers over the years but those are more utilitarian, and I don't need something as fancy (or expensive) as a Razor.
Fun in the snow with machines. Good time and good firewood. Nice to see you hoarding again. I have access to a bunch of standing dead white oaks (GM killed) should I want to work them. I've gotten spoiled with easy access wood.
Kicking around a Pioneer 500 or 520; most likely used; 2017 and up for the fully auto mode. Those are the only side by sides that will fit in our current shed setup.
Wheel vs Ski on snow/ice skis win by such a long shot its not even close. On ice tire's roll well - just not under power as they will spin. When turning there is no grip and momentum will push straight. Skies on ice slide very will and with the carbide runner will bite into the ice and allow turning but poor weight distribution skies will not turn well either. Snow - wheels with no power will roll until about half of the tire height and then its getting dragged/pushed. Under power the tire is ok until the snow is to deep. Snow is where the ski was designed for, it can push through deep snow easily. Once either by enough flotation (width) or speed the ski will float on top. Summery~ less than 6" of snow 4x4 wheels is fine and will give a better ride than snow machine. Over a foot that table has turned. Pulling a wheeled trailer vs a sled w/ski under 6" its a toss up. Over a foot ski for the win. I dont run a set of skis under a sled/toboggin. Up here you only see that on freighter sleighs and it has a pair to support both the front and back. They are pulled on hard pack trails. I use a UMHW sleigh, the brand is Norther Sled Works out of Fairbanks. It a 10 foot Seglin sled with low sides. They can/are often towed in series for freight/wood/supplies. Somewhere on FHC I have a pics of towing some rounds and logs with my setup. I use a Ski Doo Skandic wide track to pull.
