Fun in the snow...

[Desert_Captain]

Living in central Arizona at 5,000' our home often looks like a nice campground and we love to find new ways to enjoy our mountain home. A particular favorite is riding g our Rzr SXS in the snow and this morning, despite winter officially being a couple of weeks away we woke to the second recent snowfall, 2 inches of heavy wet snow.

Just a mile from our driveway there's a narrow road that turns to dirt and heads 5+ miles back into the surrounding hills. Not many folks live that far back so we had the road to ourselves and soon were making the first two tracks of the day:



Monument Peak is a great hike, always gorgeous but the snow added nicely to the view:



After and hour of exploring we retreated back home to the fire. While 2" wasn't much it was still a lot of fun and we had 2.5' last year so we are hoping for an active winter.



:B

[dedmiston]

Don't forget to take a look at the Can-Ams. :B

Either way though, we've got lots of brands in our group and everyone is happy.

Are you shopping for something in particular?

* Speed
* Handling
* Price
* Comfort
* Warranty

The list goes on.

And just a thought... The RZRs are probably the most popular, but they've had warranty troubles lately and there's currently a recall and Polaris is asking owners not to drive theirs but there isn't an immediate fix. I assume the new units aren't part of the recall, but it's worth looking into. And I'm not implying that Polaris is worse than Can-Am just because there's a recall on the RZR and not on the x3.

I still like my x3 better though. :B

Anyway, if I were shopping today, I would be looking at used cars because a lot of people are overextended and there are a lot of stressed sellers trying to get out of the payment. Plus the used units have so many of the upgrades that you'd want (radios, whips, tuned suspension, lights, mirrors, roofs, etc.).

[Desert_Captain]

I have a Polaris 570 EPS {electronic power steering - don't buy an SXS without it}. This is the smallest SXS Polaris makes but it was the only one that would fit into my existing cargo trailer as it is only 50"wide.

It does everything the big boys do and despite have just a 570cc single cylinder motor it is way too much fun. The narrow chassis actually makes it easier to access a lot of narrow trails that are closed to the larger {wider models}. Being able to ride right out of our driveway year round it is one of my favorite toys. With the cargo trailer I can tow it behind our 24' Class C or my Honda Ridgeline. Lots of great riding areas here in central Arizona. It weighs 1,300# and gets about 25 mpg with my foot in it... as usual. :B

Here are few pics...





Here it is dressed out for the 4th ofJuly parade through Payson:




:C

[liamricci]

SteveAE wrote:
My Polaris (General) is still on the truck after coming home a couple days ago after a few days of riding at the Oregon Coast. Been too busy plowing and shoveling to unload it....besides, it's now covered with snow too. Probably should just leave it and hitch the trailer back up and head to warm(er) Southern Arizona.

I am thinking to buy a polaris too. Would you recommend a particular model?
Also what extra things do i need to buy for winter from these off road accessories?
I never owed a UTV or ATV and have no idea what i might need in the future. If i am going to keep it in the garage, do i still need a cover?

[JaxDad]

We do the same thing up here, both on the farm and on trails, rail trails and logging roads.

However as I get older I find myself poking around in the snow more often in my Kubota RTV and less in my Honda Pioneer 1K-5.

The Honda is better at covering a lot of ground faster, but the heated full cab makes going slower OK too. LOL.

[PartyOf_Five]

Great fun! Thanks for sharing. We've not had accumulation yet, and that's just fine for mid December because it's coming next month for sure.

[deltabravo]

I have a Polaris Ranger, which mostly stays at home and serves as a property maintenance rig.
In the winter, I plow my driveway with it: Plowing with my Ranger.

[4x4van]

Wow, that looks like an awesome place!

[Samsonsworld]

Looks like a blast! Thank you for sharing!

[Desert_Captain]

Dave, you were right about how filthy the beast came home but if you aren't getting them dirty you ain't riding them right. :B Took the time to blast the entire buggy, especially underneath with my best hose and lots of pressure. Not sure if there was more mud or just really dirty snow but it is about 95 percent gone now. Probably just ride again tomorrow {more mud less snow}.

Steve, where on the \Oregon coast did you ride? That area has been on my short list for a while.

:C

[SteveAE]

My Polaris (General) is still on the truck after coming home a couple days ago after a few days of riding at the Oregon Coast. Been too busy plowing and shoveling to unload it....besides, it's now covered with snow too. Probably should just leave it and hitch the trailer back up and head to warm(er) Southern Arizona.

[dedmiston]

Wow. That looks so fun. We've had our CanAm in the snow a bunch of times and it's so much fun. What a mess to clean up, but it's worth it.

Thanks for the photos.