I have a cabin pretty far off the beaten path in Montana and I went out there for the first time in winter last month. I promptly got my truck stuck when the snow got deep and the trail got steep. I now know that the way to the cabin in the winter is via snow machine or on foot (snowshoe, which is how I made it the three miles from my stuck truck).
I don't know a thing about snow machines other than I've ridden them a few times. But I definitely need to buy one for future winters, especially since I plan to go to the cabin for hunting seasons and there's snow on the ground then.
This is a pure utility purchase...I don't care about going fast or racing the thing. I want it to be reliable, efficient and capable of pulling something about the weight of a field dressed bull elk. The snow can be pretty deep and ungroomed and the trail is basically a ranch/logging road that can get steep.
Anyone have favorite brands or models or, barring that, anything to definitely avoid?
Alternatively, can a UTV/ATV be set up with the right tires/chains for snow use? I don't want to try to convert one to tracked, but if they can be made to work ok in snow that may be powdery and a few feet deep (up fairly steep trails with very little other traffic), I'd seriously consider it.
