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All machine have there drawbacks, even our beloved Snow Hawks. I have found a conditions where the SnowHawk has a destinct disadvantage to two skis. This in no way is going to stop me from riding my machine though, what does kill us makes us stronger (for the summer riding season)..
Ok so imagine a couple feet of snow with just a few two ski tracks, this snow is then sun baked and refrozen with a couple inches on top. Two skis can pick a track and easily stay on it by the nature of its stance. On a snow hawk it is very hard to keep it on the track and inevitable you will be deflect of into the untracked snow, in some tighter spots its necessary to cross the existing track. I compare it to riding in out of a mud rut on a dirt bike. Very challenging..
I did some good ol VT backcountry on Sunday and these were the conditions. We ended up following a very tight wooded hiking trail to the top of a 3600 ft peak in VT. Ok all you western guys 3600 ft is small, well we started at 500ft. In the tree wells there was more then ten ft of snow. Unfortunately my hawk didnt make the final pitch, I had just changed to the longer XLT belt and I was getting some significant bog and there was one bent over tree I just couldnt get through, I would like to think I would have made it with some higher RPMS. So I am going to go back to the stock belt. I ended up hiking the last pitch to the top f the fire tower.
I will send some pics..
Lets here some humble opinions of your hawk.
The SnowHawk good and Bad is the Agent of change in the SNoMO world, like Obama and Politics!
Ok so imagine a couple feet of snow with just a few two ski tracks, this snow is then sun baked and refrozen with a couple inches on top. Two skis can pick a track and easily stay on it by the nature of its stance. On a snow hawk it is very hard to keep it on the track and inevitable you will be deflect of into the untracked snow, in some tighter spots its necessary to cross the existing track. I compare it to riding in out of a mud rut on a dirt bike. Very challenging..
I did some good ol VT backcountry on Sunday and these were the conditions. We ended up following a very tight wooded hiking trail to the top of a 3600 ft peak in VT. Ok all you western guys 3600 ft is small, well we started at 500ft. In the tree wells there was more then ten ft of snow. Unfortunately my hawk didnt make the final pitch, I had just changed to the longer XLT belt and I was getting some significant bog and there was one bent over tree I just couldnt get through, I would like to think I would have made it with some higher RPMS. So I am going to go back to the stock belt. I ended up hiking the last pitch to the top f the fire tower.
I will send some pics..
Lets here some humble opinions of your hawk.
The SnowHawk good and Bad is the Agent of change in the SNoMO world, like Obama and Politics!
