Rider: RILEY KINCAID
Location: Montana
Photo: Ryan Thompson for SnoWest

Rider: MASON RUTLEDGE
Location: Montana
Photo: Ryan Thompson for SnoWest

The hardest choices to make are the ones where there are no bad choices … which makes choosing between the Polaris Pro RMK and RMK Khaos very difficult. You can spend a lot of time trying to sort out the subtle differences, but however you decide, you will make a great choice.

Although both the RMK and the Khaos are designed for deep snow, their riding styles are uniquely different. The RMK wants to stay level as it climbs up out of the snow. The Khaos wants to bring the front end up out of the snow for a more playful ride. Two major factors contribute to this different ride feel. The first is that the Khaos model rail design has a steeper approach which allows for quicker weight transfer. This allows the front to lift, allowing the sled to change directions instantly. The second is the shock package—the RMK features WER Light while the Khaos has WER Velocity Hi-Lo shocks. The Velocity Hi-Lo shocks are designed to handle bigger bumps and jumps.

For the past three decades, when it comes to track lengths mountain riders have been screaming “bigger is better.” However, with the new technology in tracks and sled designs, some of the younger, more aggressive riders have discovered that the 146-inch tracks can be a lot of fun in the steep and deep.

Although flotation rules in deep snow, track speed and quick spins have ushered in a new style of riding. It’s no longer a “point and shoot” your way to the top. The instant change-of-direction riding style where riders throw their leg out and step into a 90-to-270-degree spin and keep moving forward has become part of mountain riding. And there’s no better track length than a 146 to facilitate this maneuver.

All five manufacturers—Ski-Doo, Polaris, Arctic Cat, Yamaha and Lynx—carry crossover models that are based on the 146-inch track. Most of them have integrated the 146 track into their mountain line.

The Lynx Shredder and Ski-Doo Freeride might share the same DNA when it comes to the Rotax engine, front suspension and platform design, but when it comes to handling and ride, these two snowmobiles are very different.

The Ski-Doo has been a mainstay in the North American market. Even though it’s a Canadian product, it has assimilated into the U.S. culture by adapting inches and pounds into the spec sheets of Ski-Doo models. Lynx, coming from a Scandinavian market, has maintained its metric measurements, forcing us to figure out the metric conversions. (That’s okay, there are website conversion tables that make that easy.)

Often referred to as the “official start of winter,” Hay Days never disappoints as thousands converge on a massive field near North Branch, Minn., each September to welcome in the upcoming snow season. Since 1976, the Sno Barons Hay Days Grass Drags and Swap Meet has been snowmobiling’s most-attended annual event and the main gathering point to celebrate our industry. The show, which includes more than 30 acres of space, attracts snowmobilers from across the North American snowbelt to see the sights, eat state-fair-like food, catch some racing, buy snow gear and generally get ready for the winter that is ahead. And while seeing snow in September is nearly unheard of, all of this takes place the weekend after Labor Day in hopes the white stuff will soon follow. Here are some of the highlights.

Rider: Cal Larsen
Location: Montana
Photo: Ryan Thompson for SnoWest