The 2022 Polaris 850 Matryx RMK Khaos Patriot Boost is Roseau’s answer to the factory turbo market segment out West.
Rider: Justin Stevens
Photo: Ryan Harris for SnoWest Magazine
Darryl W. Harris—Founder
Jason Harris—President
Chuck Harris—Vice President
Ryan Harris—Vice President
Greg Larsen—Vice President
Clayton Ward—Treasurer
Janet Chase—Secretary
Advertising and editorial offices
520 Park Ave.
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
Phone: 208-542-2292
Fax: 208-522-5241
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR – RYAN HARRIS
EMERITUS EDITOR – STEVE JANES
EDITOR – SETH HARPER
PHOTOGRAPHER – RYAN THOMPSON
SNOWEST TEST STAFF
RYAN HARRIS – STEVE JANES
RHETT CLARK – NATE KING
JUSTIN STEVENS
ADVERTISING MANAGER – Jason Huff
jhuff@snowest.com
ADVERTISING ASSISTANT – SAMANTHA STROUD
samantha@harrispublishing.com
PRODUCTION MANAGER – JANET CHASE
DESIGN – LAVON HORNE
PRODUCTION – JIM DONOVAN
IT DIRECTOR – CHUCK HARRIS
CONTROLLER – CLAYTON WARD
ACCOUNTING – JASON HARRIS
CIRCULATION – CHUCK HARRIS
WEB CONTENT CREATOR – karcin HARRIS
NEWSSTAND MANAGEMENT
ProCirc Retail Solutions Group
per year by Harris Publishing, Inc.,
Copyright (c) 2021, Harris Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole
or in part, without written permission,
is strictly prohibited.
address change:
520 Park Avenue
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
1-800-638-0135 or
www.SnoWest.com
SnoWest, $19.95 Print + Digital per year.
$12.00 Digital only per year
Back issues, when available, $5.00 each.
Fast forward to 2021 and I was given my first chance to attend Hay Days; it did not disappoint. As I played cornhole at the FXR after-party I half expected the 1919 Chicago White Sox to walk out of the corn stalks, but this time the line “if you build it, they will come” applied to 50,000 or so snowmobile/outdoor toy enthusiasts — not a disgraced baseball team.
RIDER: Chris Smith
Location: British Columbia
RIDER: Chris Smith
Location: British Columbia
RIDER: Allan Sawchuck, Lorne Allcock
Location: British Columbia
RIDER: Allan Sawchuck, Lorne Allcock
Location: British Columbia
Easily plan rides on your Ride Command mobile app (iOS/Android) and on the Ride Command website. Select your start point, end point, and any stops in between and the tool will automatically snap your route to the optimal route on trails or your previously tracked or planned rides. The tool also allows you to easily adjust and reorder stops.
It’s easy to send text messages to other members of your group over V2V (vehicle to vehicle) communication. It includes quick messages/replies as well as the ability to send custom messages. The message sends to all members of the group, and the 7s has a message history on the screen for reference.
For eight years, the Montana Snowmobile Association’s Annual Trans Montana Charity Ride has supported NAMI Montana (National Alliance on Mental Illness) raising over $100,000 and NAMI Montana wishes to thank all the participating riders, and clubs who have hosted the ride in their area over the years. NAMI MT has rolled out PTSD support for veterans and the Youth Aware Mental Health Program that includes teen suicide prevention to over 30 school districts in Montana — Montana ranks one of the highest states in teen suicide). Last year, even being Covid-challenged, 20 full-time riders and over 100 total day riders raised $18,000. Riders often come from MN, NE, CA, ID and more.
The MSA is looking forward to hosting another great ride starting in Lolo Hot Springs on Feb. 5 and ending in Cooke City on Feb. 11. An online raffle will be held and businesses are encouraged to sign up for sponsorships. For more info including rider sign-up, dates, route details and sponsorship/donation information, check out the Trans-Montana.org website.
DAHLGREN
the 2022
Matryx RMK
For the third season in a row the Ski-Doo MXZx 600RS has continued its winning ways in snocross, dominating the circuits and leading the way as the sled to be on. Last season Elias Ishoel piloted the sled to an incredible third straight ISOC Pro championship. The dangerous combination of Ishoel and Ski-Doo has proven to be a strong force to be reckoned with every weekend they line up. The formula that has worked for Ishoel also works for many amateur riders alike proving the flexibility of the Gen4 chassis for riders of all abilities. For 2022 the focus remains on keeping that winning formula.
Last spring during the 2022 Model Introductions at West Yellowstone, MT, the SnoWest test riders spent a little extra time looking at cross-over sleds, particularly the Renegade line for Ski-Doo. We found that even within the model line, there are some models better suited for the mountains and some that likely should remain close to the trails.
- Intro to Mountain Snowmobiling
- Advanced backcountry Riding Technique with the professor Bret Rasmussen
- Avalanche Preparedness and Awareness
A Dirtbike
On Tracks
The Rale
Snowbike
Muhammad Ali famously said, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” I say, “Looks like a snowbike, rides like a dirtbike.” Vernal Forbes, the inventor of the 2Moto, is back at it again. He set out to create a snowbike with the feel of a dirtbike, and he achieved that with the Rale Snowbike. Forbes and his team made waves with the 2Moto and the Rale might just do the same thing. It gives warm-weather riders the chance to feel like its June again, controlling the bike over snowy bumps and even popping wheelies.
Creating a dirtbike feel in the snow isn’t a simple task. It involves revamping the bike’s suspension and track in a big way. Nathan Titus, former X Games bronze medalist and current Western Power Sports tech, got the chance to ride it early on and was impressed.
“(Forbes) came to us and I rode it for the first time in late 17’ and was dumbfounded at how much different it handled and how much more dirtbikey it felt,” Titus said. “So what he designed is how to take the dirtbike shock and a rising rate bell crank and make that work into a snowbike or a track vehicle. Literally everything about this is different than a snowmobile suspension.”
RIDER: Maverick Walker
Location: Montana
RIDER: Maverick Walker
Location: Montana