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Edging Towards Winter: Ski-Doo's 850 Summit Edge
Brett Gingery
2022 Sled Tests: Polaris - Yamaha - Arctic Cat - Ski-Doo
October 2021
Brett Gingery
Edging Towards Winter: Ski-Doo's 850 Summit Edge
2022 Sled Tests: Polaris - Yamaha - Arctic Cat - Ski-Doo
October 2021
October 2021
SnoWest logo
THE AUTHORITY FOR WESTERN SNOWMOBILING
October 2021
Snowest Logo
THE AUTHORITY FOR WESTERN SNOWMOBILING
Features
18
Over the edge

Our The Time On The Ski-Doo Edge
26
fun on a budget

From The Arctic Cat Blast To The Polaris Patriot Boost
30
Polaris switchback 850

8 Reasons To Take A Look
36
Branch to the Face

A Photo Journey
38
Predicting the Future

A Look Back And Forward
44
The Shocking Difference

Mountain Cat 154 Vs. Hardcore 154
Cover

Ski-Doo adds a new in-season mountain sled to help meet demands of buyers coming to the market. Will the 2022 850 Summit Edge give dealers a leg up?
Rider: Brett Gingery
Photo: Ryan Thompson for SnoWest Magazine

snowmobile rider
Push your
performance
to the edge.
The 2022 Summit® Edge®
Effortless handling and breathtaking power define the rider-obsessed design of the 2022 Summit Edge. Equipped with a short tunnel for extreme agility and offering an ultra-dynamic response, it’s an absolute weapon in deep snow. And with the energy-saving push-button SHOT™ starter made possible by our advanced Rotax® 850 E-TEC® engine, it has everything deep-snow and powder riders need to chase that Ski-Doo feeling over the next peak.
That ski-doo Feeling typography logo
brp brand logo
© 2021 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Products in the United States (U.S.) are distributed by BRP US Inc. Always ride responsibly and safely.
The 2022 Summit® Edge®
Effortless handling and breathtaking power define the rider-obsessed design of the 2022 Summit Edge. Equipped with a short tunnel for extreme agility and offering an ultra-dynamic response, it’s an absolute weapon in deep snow. And with the energy-saving push-button SHOT™ starter made possible by our advanced Rotax® 850 E-TEC® engine, it has everything deep-snow and powder riders need to chase that Ski-Doo feeling over the next peak.
That ski-doo Feeling typography logo
brp brand logo
© 2021 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Products in the United States (U.S.) are distributed by BRP US Inc. Always ride responsibly and safely.
Harris Publishing
Harris Publishing, Inc.

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
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Phone: 208-542-2292
Fax: 208-522-5241

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PUBLISHER – RYAN HARRIS

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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

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PRODUCTION MANAGER – JANET CHASE

DESIGN – LAVON HORNE

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IT DIRECTOR – CHUCK HARRIS

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Copyright (c) 2021, Harris Publishing, Inc.
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Snowdust
Record Year
We’re hearing sales numbers for the 2022 sleds… and Polaris Matryx RMK models in particular… are through the roof compared to other prior years. While a lot of it can be attributed to pandemic effect, the advancements in hardware are driving the sport to new highs.
PHOTO: Ryan harris for Snowest Magazine
RIDER: Justin Stevens
Location: Montana
Sled: 2022 Polaris 850 Matryx RMK
Record Year
We’re hearing sales numbers for the 2022 sleds… and Polaris Matryx RMK models in particular… are through the roof compared to other prior years. While a lot of it can be attributed to pandemic effect, the advancements in hardware are driving the sport to new highs.
PHOTO: Ryan harris for Snowest Magazine
RIDER: Justin Stevens
Location: Montana
Sled: 2022 Polaris 850 Matryx RMK
Snowdust
Ride the Tide
Nothing beats the first line after a fresh dump. You can’t describe how this feels to someone who’s never experienced it.
PHOTO: Ryan Harris SnoWest
RIDER: Ross Robinson
Location: Near West Yellowstone, MT.
Sled: 2022 Lynx 850 Boondocker DS 4100
Ride the Tide
Nothing beats the first line after a fresh dump. You can’t describe how this feels to someone who’s never experienced it.
PHOTO: Ryan Harris SnoWest
RIDER: Ross Robinson
Location: Near West Yellowstone, MT.
Sled: 2022 Lynx 850 Boondocker DS 4100
Snowdust
Hall Pass
Tree riding is the art of going fast enough to keep climbing, slow enough to make your turns and being smart enough to read lines before they open up. It’s addicting and is what keeps sledders going back for more.
PHOTO: Ryan Harris SnoWest
RIDER: Jay Mentaberry
Location: Island Park, ID
Sled: 2022 Ski-Doo 850 Freeride Turbo 154
Hall Pass
Tree riding is the art of going fast enough to keep climbing, slow enough to make your turns and being smart enough to read lines before they open up. It’s addicting and is what keeps sledders going back for more.
PHOTO: Ryan Harris SnoWest
RIDER: Jay Mentaberry
Location: Island Park, ID
Sled: 2022 Ski-Doo 850 Freeride Turbo 154
New Products typography
New from Pro-vue
New from Pro-vue
Pro-Vue has been building prescription goggles since 1989. The newest is the 100% Accuri2 OTG goggle, which is available in five frame colors and about a dozen goggle lens tints. The prescription lenses are available in a variety of options and prices for a complete goggle start at $229. (www.pro-vue.com)
Snow Report
KLIM Sponsors Dave McClure and Riley Kincaid
McClure and Kincaid standing near their machines

KLIM has announced their official sponsorship of snowmobile athletes Dave McClure and Riley Kincaid, who will join the ranks of some of the top backcountry riders and racers on Earth. Both will be in attendance at the KLIM booth FF1-FF2 at Hay Days in Minnesota on Sept. 11-12.

McClure is an eight-time World Champion Hillclimb Racer, 10-time Year-End RMSHA Points Champion, holds two King of the Hill titles in the RMSHA circuit and has competed in the X-Games. He’s now a dedicated backcountry rider, and his noteworthy 12-year racing career spanned from 2006 until 2018, when he stopped racing due to an injury. KLIM originally sponsored him from 2006 to 2012.

The biggest snowmobile show in the west typography
MOUNTAIN AMERICA EXPO CENTER, SANDY UTAH
October 15-16
Tickets and Seminar Registration available online
Seminars run both days
  • Intro to Mountain Snowmobiling
  • Advanced backcountry Riding Technique with the professor Bret Rasmussen
  • Avalanche Preparedness and Awareness
Sponsored by Fly Racing and WPS
By Steve Janes
Ski-Doo
Summit Edge
Over The Edge
Every snowmobiler is looking for that competitive edge that gets you farther and higher up the mountain than your buddies. Yet too often we have to commit early in the spring to pay a premium price for next season’s snowmobile. But for the 2022 model season, Ski-Doo has offered an in-season mountain sled with enough premium features that allows you to wait until the fall to make such an expensive commitment.
snowmobiler riding in the snow
By Steve Janes
Ski-Doo
Summit Edge
Over The Edge
Every snowmobiler is looking for that competitive edge that gets you farther and higher up the mountain than your buddies. Yet too often we have to commit early in the spring to pay a premium price for next season’s snowmobile. But for the 2022 model season, Ski-Doo has offered an in-season mountain sled with enough premium features that allows you to wait until the fall to make such an expensive commitment.
The 2022 Ski-Doo Summit Edge bridges the wide gap between the Summit X and the Summit SP. It features leading-edge technology like standard SHOT starting, the shorter tunnel and snow flap, and other performance features usually reserved for a “spring only” model. But to evaluate the Edge, you need to put it in perspective with the other Summit models.

Ski-Doo actually makes seven different Summit Packages (not counting variations in track lengths). The basic four are the Summit Expert, Summit X, Summit Edge and Summit SP. All four feature the Rotax 850 E-Tec engine. The Expert and X are also available in a turbo package. The SP is also available with the 600R E-Tec engine.

The Co$t of Fun
Looking at retail prices of entry-level sleds and base-models in the 150-inch track range
The Co$t of Fun
Looking at retail prices of entry-level sleds and base-models in the 150-inch track range
The three things we can all count on in life: death, taxes and giving the bank account a quick check every time a new, top-quality sled drops.

It’s an itch you want to scratch, but might need a few more paychecks for it to actually happen. Fortunately for us, the snowmobile industry gives the people what they want, and that’s a wide price-range of sleds giving you the chance to select the one that works best for you.

To save you a few hours of research and Googling how to create a spreadsheet on Excel, we’ve organized a list of entry-level and base-model sleds by their price in the 150-inch track range to make things nice and simple for you. From the Arctic Cat Blast M 4000 146 to the Polaris Patriot Boost RMK Khaos MATRYX Slash 155, check out our list.

Polaris Switchback Assault 850
8 Reasons You Should Buy It
By Steve Janes
There’s been a great evolution in snowmobile technology over the past half century and for many mountain riders, our line of thinking really hasn’t kept up with the progression of sled design.

In the 1970s it was “one size fits all.” There were scores of snowmobile manufactures, mostly located in the Midwest, making the same basic sled for everyone. In the 1980s, the number of manufacturers dwindled to four … but they still built the same snowmobile for everyone. However, they started offering “extended rails” for western riders.

By the end of the 1980s the western market finally convinced the snowmobile manufacturers that we needed a snowmobile designed specifically for our terrain—longer tracks, narrower front ends and lighter weight. Then in the 1990s more attention was focused on the track length and profile. From there we continued to progress in mountain technology to the point were the manufacturers were actually making niche sleds for the western market—terrain performance snowmobiles.

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Rest of the story…
Cutting It Too Close
Photos By Ryan Harris
The challenge of hitting jumps in obstacle-littered terrain is that you may not always have the opportunity to hold your line as square as you would like. Here our test rider launches off a mound of snow as he was coming out of some trees and got kicked a little more to his right than he was expecting … and there just happened to be an innocent tree that had been growing undisturbed for the past 15 years on his line. Although he was able to get his sled clear from the branches, his face wasn’t quite as fortunate. Getting smacked across the face with a pine tree will certainly get your attention. That’s one hard kiss he won’t soon forget.
1
2
By Steve Janes
Predicting The

Future

Good Old Days Of Snowmobiling
Someone riding a Ski-Doo on a hill
By Steve Janes
Predicting The

Future

Good Old Days Of Snowmobiling

About 40 years ago, as I first started my career in snowmobile journalism, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Ray Brandt, one of the early pioneers in introducing snowmobiles to the western market and founder of Western Power Sports. Often during our numerous discussions he would ask: “What is the future of snowmobiling?”

This question has stayed with me for four decades … and I suspect it will linger on even after I’m just a footnote in this industry. What is the future of snowmobiling?

Since I don’t have extrasensory perception and I’m not psychic nor can I read tarot cards, my thoughts are little more than slightly educated guesses. After witnessing the evolution of this industry during the past 40 years, I believe I have a little better insight and perspective to attempt to address that question.

FXR logo
snowmobile rider
Helium X Jacket
Mission Pant Overalls
Mission Pant
Explore and conquer in the all-new Helium X Jacket and Mission Pant, the ultimate blend of waterproofing, breathability, protection and mobility.

Add the optional Dri-Link to connect and seal-off the jacket to the pant, giving you the protection of a monosuit, while maintaining the mobility of a 2pc. Versatility, mobility, and durability that’s engineered for the way that you ride.

Mission Pant
Dri-LINK Technology
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HydrX Pro logo
Dri-Link logo
Omni-Stretch logo
Mountain Cat 154 vs. Hardcore 154
Shocking Difference
By Steve Janes
To some the difference between Arctic Cat’s Mountain Cat 154 and Hardcore 154 is as glaring as Dynamic Charcoal and Orange. To others, other than the skin tones, these two snowmobiles are practically identical.

The editors of SnoWest Magazine had to look long and hard to find any significant separations in the two models … and our conclusions are shocking.

First, there are plenty of similarities between these two models. Both are built on the Ascender Platform, specifically designed for mountain riding with a flat track-to-snow approach angle to lift you up out of the snow. The running boards are also built to allow forward foot positioning for better balance and weight transfer.

The Biggest Snowmobile Show in Idaho!
Ford Idaho Sports Center IN NAMPA
16200 Idaho Center Blvd
November 19-20
Tickets and Seminar Registration available online
Seminars run both days
  • Intro to Mountain Snowmobiling
  • Advanced backcountry Riding Technique with the professor Bret Rasmussen
  • Avalanche Preparedness and Awareness
Sponsored by Fly Racing and Dennis Dillon
Yamaha Mountain Max 155 Super Lite
Weight Matters
By Steve Janes
In its second season of the reintroduction of the two-stroke mountain sled, Yamaha has managed to cut significant weight off the Mountain Max, an indication that the company known for four-stroke performance really wants to be a player in the deep snow/steep terrain market.

This first effort in weight reduction is focused on Yamaha’s all-new Mountain Max LE 154 SL model, which is a welcome addition for deep snow riding. The SL trim of the Mountain Max 154 is the lightweight version. The electric start has been removed to save over 20 pounds of weight on this two-stroke snowmobile.

From our scales, the 2021 Mountain Max 154 weighed in at 592 pounds wet. The 2022 Super Lite weighed in at 543 pounds wet. That puts the weight much more competitive with other mountain sleds.

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Snowdust
Dream Vacation
Revelstoke is a hotspot for road trips to Canada. It’s been a while since riders have been able to cross the border. Here’s to more Revy rides in the near future.
PHOTO: Steve Scott
RIDER: Rob Alford
Location: Revelstoke, British Columbia
Dream Vacation
Revelstoke is a hotspot for road trips to Canada. It’s been a while since riders have been able to cross the border. Here’s to more Revy rides in the near future.
PHOTO: Steve Scott
RIDER: Rob Alford
Location: Revelstoke, British Columbia
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Thanks for reading our October 2021 issue!