Running Alaska's "Winter Trails" in the Summertime?
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Running Alaska's "Winter Trails" in the Summertime?
In my Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer of Alaska, there are a lot of red dotted lines marked as "Winter Trails" that extend all over the state. Obviously when all of the bodies of water are frozen solid, at lot of diffent vehicles from snow-machines to ice-road-trucks can criss-cross the countryside.
But, in the spring, summer, and fall, are AATV's still capable of (and legally allowed to) follow these same trails? (large fast-flowing rivers would obviously become barriers) I was just thinking that these winter trails might make good initial routes in & out of the bush that regular ATV's couldn't handle when thawed.
From the few that i have see, normal ATVs aka 4 wheelers can even get down them. But like you said, some areas are impassable. What part of the state are you talking about?
Trying to decide between a 6x6 Polaris Ranger and an 8x8 Argo HDI or Mudd Ox for accessing the Alaskan bush?
One is quite a bit less expensive and maybe faster (on dry trails) than the other two, but not amphibious.
My 4x4 truck can tow it from Anchorage to anywhere on the Alaskan road system, but then what . . . . .
how much more of AK will be accessible with an 8X8 AATV as apposed to a 6X6 ATV: 10%, 25%, 50% ???
Or should I buy the cheaper ATV and use the remaining funds to rent airplanes to carry me even farther back in?
are you trying to go hunting or mineral exploring? If you never want to see the same trail twice get the AATV. Look at arial maps of where you want to go, if there is a bunch of water, we all know how well the polaris ranger floats. I also have been on other AK specific forums and they do break too, most likely a front axel shaft. It also should depend on how much you can spend at one time, and the best deal you can get. Do you know anyone with the machines you want to compare? I know that during break up, the argo is the only way to go which is near or on bear season. I personaly used my old 8X8 to plow though an alder thicket just to see if it would and WOW i dont think i could have honestly walked through that crap. I also worry about up here in fairbanks punching through some muskeg, anything that dosent float will go to the bottom, and if im out in the bush.... sucks to be me. but with my argo, it floats so i dont hesitate. all those winter trails are lies, there is SO MUCH trail up here you have no idea, but it all eventualy goes through a bog or a river or a swamp.... if your comfortable in a 6x6 polaris, they ride nicer but get stuck easily. From what i under stand, a 8x8 mudd ox or argo or hydrotrax tracked rig will not get stuck with adair tracks on it. i could be wrong, but i feel like once you get the hang of driving an 8 wheeler, the tracks will not fail. At any rate, remember to tell somone where you are going, and when your coming back. Carrying a SPOT locator beacon is a good sound investment for ANY bush creeping. and from this forum, you know there are guys who would think it would be a fun adventure to asist you if you get in a bind!
I to live here in Alaska. Fairbanks to be exact. I've run with the Polaris 6x6 with tracks on the back, very impressive. But again it doesn't float. I have a couple 4 wheelers and they go most places my Ltv kid with tracks on it will go. Granted with the kid it's point and shoot and with the wheelers you have to pick and choose your route wisely. Having said that the reliability of the four wheelers is top notch. My kid left me stranded once, I replaced the cap either and points and it fired up. Also fuel consumption. My Honda goes days on the 2.5 gallon tank, 20 gallons a day running the kid hard.
As far as the winter trails go, I rip them all the time in the summer, an ps a tracked 8x8 will get stuck and when they do hyoid screwed. I got mine buried, the winch, a come along, and handyman jack were not able to budge it. I had to walk out in the dark, and go back the next day with three winched up atv to get it out.
I think when trecking with an aatv a gps is very important as well as extra batteries and I would also have a flashlight that you can wear on your head and a gun.
Formerly from delta junction dead in the middle of no where a 6x6 or 8x8 aatv is the way to go the max2 i have was still skating across 2 ft of snow in the thaw like it was hard packed gravel, got out and sunk to the knees. the 250 cc 4 wheeler my kid was on was buried and its so light i can pick up the machine by myself, i love my arctic cat 4 wheeler but it dont float however in fast river water i would still take it over the max cuz it will cross faster so the current dont catch. polaris rangers are nice but other than the razor or the 400 cc model they get a bit wide for grown over trails. again it a toss up
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