The fight for snowmobile access on public lands has been a lot like a good snowmobile ride. In the early days there was nothing in front of us but open country as far as the eye could see. In the 1970s and 1980s, the regulatory footprints were light, the capabilities of the machines were minimal, and the number of users was small enough not to merit much attention.

As more winter recreation users flocked to the national forests, we entered a period where grooming, parking lots, and designated trails became necessary. This is when organizations like BlueRibbon Coalition came on the scene to ensure that regulatory footprints didn’t become regulatory postholes. The fight to protect snowmobiling access in Yellowstone National Park put our organization on the map, and we’ve been working to make sure the maps we fight over include a lot of snowmobiling access ever since.

Sometimes the middle child is lost or overlooked. The same can be true with a snowmobile model that is sandwiched between an economical base model and the feature-loaded top-of-the-line model. The Polaris Switchback 650 XC 146 may blend in between the Switchback Assault and the Indy XC, but it stands out on the trail where it matters.

It’s not top-of-the-line, but it has top-end parts. It’s not the least expensive, but it’s priced competitively. And it comes with two powerplant options—the 650 Patriot and the 850 Patriot. During the 2022 Model Introduction rides at West Yellowstone, MT, the editors of SnoWest got a chance to pound the trails and found the Switchback 650 XC something we could ride aggressively all day long.

It doesn’t wear you out because it’s extremely responsive and rides light. Yet it doesn’t muscle you around and try to jump out from under you. Quick and nimble describe the Switchback 650 to the T.

For 2022 Ski-Doo has filled in its cross-over line with three Backcountry models (six if you throw in the variation of engine and track length options). And it’s hard to discern between the models since there are so many similarities.

The base model is the Backcountry. It is available in-season and comes in two engine packages—850 and 600. Next is the Backcountry 850 X, which is spring-only. Finally, there’s the 850 X-RS, which is also a spring-only model.

For years I’ve always been an advocate of smaller and lighter. The more power, the harder you have to work to keep your sled under control. The lighter the sled, the easier it is to ride. Not all riders are young, strong and have the balance of a mountain goat. Some of us are unfortunately a little older with a body fat index somewhere closer to 35 percent. Because of this, less power allows us just a little more time to react. Although we have the mass to pull our sleds over on their sides, we don’t quite have the quickness and agility to maintain the balance point as we power out of turns.

So why would we recommend the 165 over the 154?