Snowmobiling and caching

[Buy_The_Tie]

99 Polaris XLT w/Fuji 600 Triple, completely stock.

I’ve always purchased the gas “Up Nort”, trying to avoid the reformulated stuff down here. Is there alcohol in it anyway? These days, probably.

After melt-down number 1, the dealer looked at the damage and said it looked like a “cold seize”. They asked if I fired it up and went screamin’ across the lake. This wasn’t the case. The machine had been running for at least 1/2 hour before it seized, and the temps were right around 32 degrees.

I pulled the carb for the offending cylinder, took in the basement. spread out clean white shop rags and set to cleaning it. I didn’t find *anything*. Both the hi-speed & low-speed jets looked clean No dirt or anything else did I find. Once I had it re-assembled (new piston & rings, cylinder cleaned up with a hone), with it running I sprayed carb cleaner all around the clutch-side seal to test for a bad seal. The seal checked out good. This was a season-ending breakdown.

After melt-down number 2 (opposite side cylinder) I went through the same drill, again with nothing definitive to find. This time I needed to get an +0.010 piston as the cylinder needed to be machined out. I did go one step farther and replaced both crank seals. This was a season-ending breakdown.

After melt-down number 3 (clutch side again), cleaned the cylinder with a hone, put in an after-market piston kit and vowed that it would never leave me stranded again. This was a season-ending breakdown.

Did I mention that I was still mad at it?

BTW, is there anybody out there who wants to buy a good-looking good-running snowmobile? (just don’t take it too far from home)

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

@Buy_The_Tie wrote:

99 Polaris XLT w/Fuji 600 Triple, completely stock.
I’ve always purchased the gas “Up Nort”, trying to avoid the reformulated stuff down here. Is there alcohol in it anyway? These days, probably.

Yikes! I feel your pain. Kwik Trip has their premium gas labeled now for “Safe for Recreational Use” (boats, sleds, ATV’s, etc).
So that gas is A-OK and alcohol free.

As I said, changed out the Buna-Nitril seals for the Viton seals on the carbs.. After that never had a carb or cold start problem. That made a huge difference. (We have two 1999 Polaris XLT’s.) Buna-N’s are prone to leakage.

Don’t know what’s up with the snomo dealer. You may want to go out onto the Polaris Tech Forum or better yet talk to a tech at a different dealer or the serivce manager. Something is not adding up.

BTW.

When snomocaching and your are out in the sub-zero temps….a must have is a heated face shield on your helmet. Otherwise it will be very difficult seeing your GPSr much less a White Tail flying in front of you.

Happy snomocaching.

SGH & BB

[kc9gbo]

Hey all! Finally back on here after being out signing trails.
I’ve thought about the ram system, and wasn’t sure how well it works. Nice to hear from other folks on how they use it. How did you figure out which caches are close to the trail that you will be on?

I stepped off to the right once to take a photo, and I went from hardpack snow to snow up to my hip!! Good thing I had the sled right next to me so I could use the handlebars to get back up, so I can relate to the stepping into deep snow. Funny how it looks so innocent.

I’d like to see a variety of pq’s/bookmarks as I really don’t know where I will be riding this season. I think I may try to do a list of caches that I know are on the trail system for this part of the state and then add as other folks fill in the blanks also.

As for going off topic, all I can say is I guessed it was a triple when I first read the post! My sled guru when I first started looking for a newer snowmobile warned me to stay away from triples as they had burn down problems. Something about the way they are cooled. And you know what? I think he was right just by talking to other sledders as I’ve gotten further into the sport.

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

@kc9gbo wrote:

How did you figure out which caches are close to the trail that you will be on?

Over the years this process has evolved. As we ride pretty much the same area (Minocqua/Woodruff trails systems) I now have a downloaded the GPRs “cookies” in to my MapSource program on my laptop of all the trails we ride. While there have been some minor changes year-to-year the routes are basically the same. Then I can do a PQ of potentia caches and then merge the two data bases and determine where the caches are.
For us this is the most reliable and accurate mapping system.

Pre-planning is important when dealing with winter conditions. Sometimes we just ride to see how close we can get to the cache and then plan our approach for next time. For us we have two months of snomocaching and again a ‘good day’ would be finding 2 or 3.

For the most part caches need to be on the trail or right off the trail by about 400 feet or so. Otherwise, as you know you are doing more than half-stepping in the snow. Yikes. You’d be swimming in snow.

There are other ways to find if a cache is a snomocache like sending an e-mail to the owner prior to actually looking for it to get some infomation. Or, you can look at the satellite map via GC.com or use a combination of snowmobile club maps, MapSource and/or the DeLorme to determine if it is or on a snowmobile route. (One thing to keep in mind is to STAY on the mark trails and not to goof it up for others who ride.)

For some hides we will ride then park and put on the snowshoes to hike to GZ or out to an island such as Gumdrop Island (GC112DY), etc.

We are lucky UpNort because the area Chamber of Commerce’s understand the relationship of geocaching as it relates to the bike trails and snowmobile trails. The C of C’s are now putting out caches. The “Great Northwoods Treasure Hunt” and some geo-events are examples of this.

And, there are more local cachers like refelo, sweech, et al who are putting out caches for snomocaching or for winter cachers. Now, for us besides being in the woods in winter and out-of-doors, snomocaching is why we snowmobile. For YT and the BB caching is a four season activity.

Hope this helps.

SGH & BB

[RSplash40]

Whoops double post.

[RSplash40]

Now if I can just win that snowmobile raffle :>

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

Manitowish Water GC1DRDK

[hogrod]

For anyone doing any snowmobiling you should check out the trail maps here: http://gpssledmaps.com/maps/wi.php

I have both the free transparent maps & the pay version of WI. I actually prefer the transparent version(free) so I can use it at the same time as my WI topo maps or City Navigator maps on my 60Cx.

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

@kc9gbo wrote:

I’ve thought about the ram system, and wasn’t sure how well it works. Nice to hear from other folks on how they use it.

The RAM in action.

SGH & BB

[RSplash40]

@Sparse Grey Hackle wrote:

Manitowish Water GC1DRDK

That looks oddly familiar…

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

Manitowish Water GC1DRDK
That looks oddly familiar…

Yes, not too far from the Pea Patch and down the way a bit from LaPorte’s grocery store in beautiful Manitowish Waters. The trails are open with more snow on the way. 😆

And, hopefully the lake trails too will soon be opened with some ice-making going one UpNort.

We are counting the days down ❗

“Soon to be snomocaching” 😆 😆

[kc9gbo]

Got one sled ready today, other two still need some tlc, been on a caching drought and actually bothering me (isn’t that a sign of an addict?).
Same here, soon to be snomocaching!

[Miata]

Picked up a new and improved snowcachemobile.

[kc9gbo]

Looking at Sparse Grey Hackle’s pic earlier again tonight and only four miles on the trip tick! What year and kind of Polaris is it? Console looks like the one on mine.
Miata, what year? Miles? Looks purty!! Bet it rides like a dream! Figures I get the sled ready and they close the trails! Bummer

[Miata]

@kc9gbo wrote:

Looking at Sparse Grey Hackle’s pic earlier again tonight and only four miles on the trip tick! What year and kind of Polaris is it? Console looks like the one on mine.
Miata, what year? Miles? Looks purty!! Bet it rides like a dream! Figures I get the sled ready and they close the trails! Bummer

2007 Yamaha Attak with 3000 miles. 1000cc, 4 stroke, Electric start, reverse, and 150hp!

[Author]

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