American Snowmobiler
"Tips for Saving Our Trails”

What I said... (in red)
I don't agree... (in blue)

Scott Bergstrom’s letter 
Trail Damage / Causes and Solutions

What they left out... ( in red)

A number of factors determine the amount of damage done to our snowmobile trails. These include snow conditions on the trail, the type of sled we ride (with or without traction products) and how we work our throttle thumb.  

Trail snow conditions can vary greatly from day to day. To minimize damage to the trails and possibly to your- self and your sled you must adjust your riding style and possibly your equipment.

Besides little or no snow, powder snow is the hardest snow to maintain a trail with. Even with 8 to 10 inches of powder there is very little flotation provided. This means your wear rods will be running in the dirt, which especially in the corners, will generate snirt (snow + dirt). This combination will melt the snow much faster because the darker dirt will soak up the heat from the sun.

Crusted snow on the trails will provide flotation, but you can easily churn down to the ground.  

Hardpack with an ice base is ideal, but it is not indestructible if your thumb pushes heavy on the gas, especially on acceleration out of corners.

Ice covered trails creates a different situation altogether. Even the most careful of snowmobilers is susceptible to a sudden loss of control. This condition is the main reason traction products are recommended for safety.

A multiple of factors determine the amount of damage done to the trails. They include trail snow conditions, type of sled / with or with- out traction products and how you work your thumb. Logic and common sense can help you minimize the damage you may be doing to the trails, while still maintaining your safety.

Trail snow conditions can vary from day to day. To minimize damage to the trails and possibly to yourself and your sled you must adjust your riding style and possibly your equipment.

Besides little or no snow, powder snow is the hardest snow to maintain a trail with. Even with 8 to 10 inches of powder there is very little floatation provided. This means your wear rods will be running in the dirt which, especially in the corners, will generate snirt (snow+ dirt). This combination will melt the snow much faster because the darker dirt will soak up the heat from the sun.

Crusted snow on the trails will provide flotation, but you can easily churn down to the ground.

Hardpack with an ice base is ideal, but it is not indestructible if your thumb pushes heavy on the gas, especially on acceleration.

Ice covered trails create a different situation altogether. Even the most careful of snowmobilers is susceptible to a sudden loss of control. This condition is the main reason traction products would be recommended for safety.

The new extra travel suspensions are great for your back, but in some cases, they are a double-edged sword. The smoother ride allows those who want to cruise at higher speeds for longer periods of time to do so, without becoming fatigued. The downside is apparent when you see how much more snow becomes airborne and drifts off the trail, making it useless to snowmobiles. The reason for this additional damage is that the track is so much more exposed than before.  

Different skis and ski products serve different purposes. Longer, wider and flatter skis provide more flotation whether steel or plastic. The drawback of steel skis is that in a certain temperature range, snow will stick to them.

Plastic ski skins prevent this accumulation and allow the steel ski to slide through the snow. A disadvantage is that as resistance is lowered, due to the slipperiness of the plastic, the sled will push straighter through the corners. To regain turning ability you need to move up to the next level of wear rod (ie. Hardsurfaced to a 4-inch to 6-inch carbide).

Different skis and ski products serve different purposes. Longer, wider and flatter skis provide more flotation whether steel or plastic. The drawback of the steel ski is that in a certain temperature range snow will stick to them.

Ski skins prevent this accumulation and allow the steel ski to slide through the snow. A disadvantage is that resistance is lowered, due to the slipperiness of the plastic, so the sled will push straighter through the corners. To regain your turning ability you should move up to the next level of wear rod (ie. hardsurfaced to a 4-inch carbide or a 4 to 6 inch carbide).

Ski Savers cover the area right next to the wear rod where skis take the most abuse. The added edges of the Ski Savers will also help turn in snow. Being UHMW polyethylene, like the plastic skis, they will provide most of the slide and protection skins do. There are different thicknesses that minimize darting by lifting the wear rods out of the ruts. They can be used on plastic skis, steel skis, and with ski skins.

PLASTIC SKIS

The first plastic skis were tri-keeled channeled and were introduced on the 1979-80 Chrysler Snow Runner. 

The first plastic skis for full size sleds appeared around 1990. They were as long as the longest steel skis and flexed, providing a cushioned ride over bumpy trails. Unlike the 1979 Twin-Trac ski, which had a wear rod on both outside edges and a deep tunnel down the middle, it used only one wear rod and it’s shallow concave channels were on each side of the center keel. This design trapped snow under the ski, keeping it there, thus providing excellent flotation on even marginal snow. The weight savings, when you include the mounting hardware, is around 3 to 3 1/2 pounds per ski, which is important if you are racing. Most of these ski designs focus the pressure on the wear rods.  

The first plastic skis were tri-keeled and were introduced on the 1979/80 Chrysler- Snow Runner.

The first plastic skis for full size sleds appeared around 1990. They were as long as the longest steel skis and flexed, providing a cushioned ride over bumpy trails. Unlike the 1979 Twin-Trac ski, which had a wear rod on both outside edges and a deep tunnel down the middle, it used only one wear rod and it’s shallow concave channels were on each side of the center keel. This design trapped snow under the ski, keeping it there, thus providing excellent flotation on even marginal snow. The weight savings, when you include the mounting hardware, is around 3 to 3 1/2 lbs. per ski, which is important if you are racing. Most of these ski designs focus the pressure on the wear rods.

Because plastic will not withstand direct pressure it is very important that you watch your wear rods closely. You should change them when any part of the wear rod is worn halfway thru or you’ll risk ski damage. There are products available which provide additional protection for the ski at the point where the wear rods attach. This is an especially abusive area for the ski. An added benefit to these products is that their edges provide an additional bite in the snow for turning. Additionally, if their leading edges are tapered, they can help alleviate darting in the same manner as Ski-doo’s Proactive Control System ski keel without a drag resistance penalty.  

Because plastic will not withstand direct pressure it is very important that you watch your wear rods closely. You should change them when any part of the wear rod is worn halfway thru, because ski damage will occur.

The new rocker bottom plastic skis generate less friction in a straightaway, which makes them useful in drag racing. For trail riders, rocker skis decrease the turning effort on ice and pavement. When you apply the laws of physics to trail riding, these benefits become counter productive to cornering.

The arch of the rocker varies from brand to brand, so the amount of carbide making contact with the ice or pavement varies, based on the conditions. So regardless of how long the carbide insert is, there will be a finite amount of the hardened material under the spindle (where the ski pressure is greatest) biting into the ice. However, the remainder of the carbide provides increased ruddering, if you will, in the hardpack snow. Both aspects of the carbide’s functionality aid in turning, but on rockered skis, only a small portion of the carbide provides bite.

The new rockered bottom plastic skis generate less friction in a straight away, which makes them useful in drag racing. For trail riders, it is easier to turn the handlebars on ice and pavement. When you apply the laws of physics to trail riding these benefits are counter productive.

The arch of the rocker varies from brand to brand, so the amount of carbide making contact with the ice or pavement ranges from 7/8 to 4 1/2 inches. Even if you have 10 inches of turning carbide, only the bottom of the arch will be working. Once that section is dull it is still the pressure point, therefore the remaining carbide will not do much to aid in turning. The rocker also counteracts the cushioning effect that the flatter skis provide. There is less straddling of bumps and flotation is diminished.

In a nutshell, more damage will occur to the trails because of the focused pressure on new sharp carbide and you will lose much of the resistance needed to turn.

Wear rods, whether standard steel or hardsurfaced, will not do damage to pavement. The hardsurfaced rod will maintain its ability to turn in snow longer, because it stays thicker longer.

TRACTION FACTS

The proper wear pattern of the wear rod should be 60% to the front and 40% to the rear. This will ensure maximum effectiveness of the turning carbide.  

The proper wear pattern of the wear rod should be 60% to the front and 40% to the rear. This will ensure maximum effectiveness of the turning carbide.

Bombardier filed for its carbide wear rod patent #3,732,939 in January of 1971. Such carbide wear rods were needed when the racetracks switched from snow banked to ice covered.

The reason carbide was chosen was that it etches into ice for an extended length of time, providing the resistance needed to turn the sled. They were not widely used until the very late 1980s when the OEMs made carbides standard equipment on some trail sleds. Even though their patent had tapered carbide at all three locations, most other carbides had blunt ends. These blunt ends created resistance, causing the tracks to break loose on ice, generating a need for studs in the track. The added resistance tells you the carbide is digging a channel into the ice.

Some manufacturers still use blunt-ended carbides on selected models.

Bombardier filed for their carbide wear rod patent #3,732,939 in Jan. of 1971. They were needed when the racetracks switched from snow banked to ice covered.

The reason carbide was chosen was that it etches into ice for an extended length of time, providing the resistance needed to turn the sled. They were not widely used until the very late 1980’s when the OEM’s made carbides standard equipment on some trail sleds. Even though their patent had tapered carbide at all three locations, most other carbides had blunt ends. These blunt ends created resistance, causing the tracks to break loose on ice, generating a need for studs in the tracks. The added resistance tells you the carbide is digging a channel in the ice.  

Some still use blunt ended carbides in some models. Others are generating more resistance by protruding their carbide point as much as .170 inch out of the host bar. Still others are promoting 60 degree or 75 degree points for trail riding, which also generates resistance. These carbides are more aggressive when new, but that translates into more trail damage. Either way, the carbide dulls faster because more of the sleds weight is focused on the point.

TRAIL DAMAGE

The type of sled you ride can affect trail damage for several reasons. The size of the sled, both in weight and power are two key considerations.

When greater weight is combined with speed, there’s more momentum to be overcome in order to turn. If your sled has a long track (over l21 inches) you would start with a 6-inch carbide just to overcome the push of even a bare track. Deep lug tracks have their place in deep powder, but on groomed trails they really churn up the snow, gripping into dirt on marginal snow-packed trails.

The new extra travel suspensions are great for your back, but in some cases they are a double-edged sword. The smoother ride allows those who want to cruise at higher speeds for longer periods of time to do so, without becoming fatigued. Because these long travel suspensions put more track area on the ground, the downside is apparent when you see how much more snow becomes airborne and drifts off the trail.

The type of sled you ride can affect trail damage for several reasons. The size of the sled, both in weight and power are two key considerations.

The more weight combined with speed, the more momentum has to be overcome in order to turn. If your sled has a long track (over 121 inches) you would start with a 6-inch carbide just to overcome the push of even  a bare track. Paddle tracks have their place in deep powder, but on groomed trails they can really churn up the snow.  

DEGREES of STUDS

The carbide stud patent #3,838,894 was filed in December of 1972 by Donald G. Greedy, of Special Sports Products of Caro, Michigan. The original carbide point was 60 degree and at that time was basically for racing. The first commercially available push- through studs were sold by the makers of the Manta Twin Track snowmobile as far back as 1975.

Recently, trail stud points have gone from 80 degrees to 60 degrees in an effort to provide better traction. Racing studs have 45 degree tips and even to 30 degrees for ice racers. These sharper points do give racers deeper and harder penetration, but if racing products are used on the trails it means more and more damage to paved surfaces in marginal snow conditions. Prudent traction manufacturers do not offer or recommend racing studs or carbides to trail riders, due to the fact that the maintenance would be as high as requiring replacement every 200 to 300 miles. And these sharp points would cause excessive damage to trail surfaces.

Another way to cut down damage is to follow the stud manufacturers’ recommendations for proper stud penetration. Most recommend between 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch for trail riding. Recent studies have shown that sleds with less than 3/8 inch of penetration are more effective at braking than those with greater lengths. This point can even be further evidenced by racing rules in snocross and cross country circuits that limit competitors’ stud penetration to no more than 3/8 inch past the track lug. Again, only carbide will etch ice and hold up against rocks and pavement crossings for any length of time. Another traction device available is a hex-headed screw with carbide chips brazed to the head. They provide plenty of scratching throughout their life and do minimal damage to the trails.

The carbide stud patent, #3,838,894, was filed in December of 1972 by Donald G. Greedy, of Special Sports Products, of Caro, MI. The original carbide point was 60 degree and at that time was basically for racing. The first commercially available push- through studs were sold by the makers of the Manta Twin Track snowmobile as far back as 1975.

Recently, trail stud points have gone from 80 degree to 60 degree to 45 degree and even to 30 degree. These sharper points do give racers deeper and harder penetration, but transfer that to the trails and it means more and more damage. If studs even needed a point, trail riders would be changing them every 200 to 300 miles. The fact that they do not change them proves the points were never needed.  Therefore, all the damage caused by new sharp studs could easily be eliminated.

Another way to cut down damage is to limit the stud stick out to 1/4" for trail sleds.

It has been established that this stick out is more effective than 3/8 inch when it comes to stopping. Again, only carbide will etch ice for any extended length of time. The only other carbide traction device available is a patented ATV type screw with domed carbide chips brazed to the head. With multiple layers of multiple points, they provide lots of scratching throughout their life and do minimal damage to the trails.

SAVING TRAILS

Like everything else, the cost of grooming trails is increasing. Volunteers harder to find and land is changing hands at an increasing rate, making it difficult to keep existing trails open. As the manufacturers work to improve the environmental impact of their sleds, we need to take action to protect our trails, both physically (i.e. stay off the trails until a good base has been established; close the trails at night for grooming so they can set up for four to six hours, which can increase their life ten- fold) and financially (i.e. pool money to buy as much land as possible in critical to snowbelt areas through State Associations).

We can enforce these changes by requiring large registration numbers on the sleds, to identify violators. Some areas have changed laws allowing deputized snowmobile club members to patrol on the trails.

But still, the biggest thing we can do to save our trails is use our own common sense. If the snow is thin in the corners or at a stop sign, don’t get on the gas and chew up the ground or pavement. It only wrecks your equipment and damages the trail.

Purchase sensible trail riding traction products and use them in a responsible way. Remember, when you’re out on the hardpack trail with your friends, sharper, race-bred runners and studs won’t give you much advantage and will deliver the same level of safety as trail products. It comes down to you, and you alone, to do what’s right to preserve our trails.

Like everything else the cost of grooming trails is increasing. Volunteers are getting harder to find and land is changing hands at an increasing rate, making it difficult to keep existing trails open. As the manufacturers work to improve the environmental impact of their sleds, we need to take action to protect our trails both physically (i.e. stay off the trails until a good base has been established; close the trails at night for grooming so they can set up for 4-6 hours, which can increase their life ten-fold) and financially (i.e. pool money to buy as much land as possible in critical snowbelt areas through State Associations).

We can enforce these changes by requiring large registration numbers on the sleds, to identify violators. Some areas have changed laws allowing deputized snowmobile club members to patrol on the trails. If you apply these common sense ideas and information, the trails and snowmobilers will be much safer.

For more information check out- – – – Save Our Sport – – – at www.bergstromskegs.com