January, 1999
Cantwell, Alaska

SKI-DOO SKANDIC SWT:
Super in Alaska's Backcountry Snow

By John Wyman

Cantwell, Alaska—“He dared me to get this beast stuck,” I informed my riding buddy. From the looks of it, I would have every opportunity. The area had just received one of the biggest snowfalls in history and the six-feet of the fresh stuff blanketing the land was light and fluffy, perfect for getting bogged down. One step off your sled and you were up to your armpits.

Ski-Doo Skandic rider Pete VanDeHei Jr. steps off a sled into six feet of fresh snow near Cantwell, Alaska. In the background riders of Polaris sleds can be seen stuck in the deep snow. John Wyman photo.

There wasn’t much activity when we set out in the morning. In fact, we didn’t see any other riders and only an old trail, made by a veteran rider on a Skandic Super-Wide Track, whom I had met the night before. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about attempting the ride to the remote lake, nestled in a mountain pass. Though the trek isn’t a terribly challenging one, it isn’t one for sissies either, by any means. Besides overflow, open areas of ice on the creek, a few steep areas, some tricky maneuvering through a canyon, and a boulder field to navigate, the jaunt is a piece of cake. When the trail is good, that is. This time there was no trail to speak of and the snow was determined to pull you in and bury you and your machine alive.

We set off on two new Ski-Doo Skandics: one a SWT, the other a 500. Due to its impressive dimensions, I promptly dubbed the SWT, “The Beast.” You can’t help but do a double take when you see its 24-inch track. Specifically designed for flotation and traction in deep snow, the sled looks like it means business, and it does. Bombardier, builder of Ski-Doo sleds, presents the SWT as their “ultimate deep snow” machine.

It didn’t take long to realize the potential of the SWT. Once we left the Denali Highway for the tundra, the sleds ate up the virgin snow with ease. I was all prepared to post and lean and balance and pray to keep the sled moving, but within minutes I realized I could sit my behind on the comfortable seat, press the throttle, and navigate through the maze of spruce trees with no trouble at all. No advanced maneuvers required for this hover sled!

The real test and determination came when we cleared the tundra and headed into the foothills. Here the wide-open spaces looked deceptively inviting. All it took was a single dismount from the sled to realize that. Whoa… up to your armpits in snow! Meanwhile the SWT rested on top, a beacon of reliability in an otherwise white and unforgiving snowy equivalent of the La Brea Tar Pits.

We encountered some other riders in this area. Well, perhaps I should refer to them as sitters, for they were not riding by any definition I know of. In fact, they were sitting, or lying, in the snow, resting from their continuous efforts to dig out their Polaris RMKs. The situation looked grim and the sitters looked beat. The three of them would dig one guy out and send him on his way. He’d make it ten feet away or so, until the digging-out process would begin anew. I am not sure how long these guys had been at it, but when we rode up and offered to tow them out of the thick of it, they just stared, wide-eyed and stunned, to see us motoring about in this sea of snow.

Deep snow near Cantwell, Alaska, bogs down most snowmachines like these Polaris' sleds and riders pictured here. The Ski-Doo Skandic Super Wide Track rules deep snow and easily maneuvered around these stuck riders and broke trail so they could get on out of this snowy version of the La Brea Tar Pits. John Wyman photos.

I heard one comment, “Yep, those Super-Wide Tracks are the way to go in this stuff. Look at that.”

In all fairness, one of these guys we encountered did actually ride. He had another model Polaris with some decent paddles on it and was able to keep afloat--most of the time. He was obviously an experienced rider and with proper balance and throttle control he managed to make a few wide circles through the area, in an attempt to pack down a trail for his buddies.

With the SWT’s low gearing and moderate power output, I was able to move among the stuck sleds with ease, with little fuss, fully seated or standing, and at any speed, packing down a trail to facilitate their escape. Even my buddy, on the Skandic 500, rode the area a few times, with just a small amount of balancing going on. To say that those guys, and us, were impressed with the Skandics’ performance would be a major understatement.

Eventually we departed the area and made it into the mountains and to the remote lake where I promptly drilled a hole in the ice and caught a respectable lake trout. The SWT was comfortable to ride, and maneuvered well through the trees, across creeks and up hills. The high windshield and thumb and grip warmers made for a warm journey, though I had to remind myself not to post with my head above the windshield. One major bump and my helmet hit with a jar, enough to keep me from repeating the stupid incident!

The electronic start on the SWT is a welcomed feature and I never had a problem starting the machine. The 10.6-gal tank is standard among such sleds but fuel efficiency was not the best in my opinion, at about 8 mpg when towing a relatively light cargo toboggan. The Rotax 503 (497 cc) fan-cooled engine was gutsy enough not to be totally boring, but do not expect to be cruising at top speeds on this utility sled. During a 40-mile test run down the Denali Highway, on a fairly packed-trail in 20-below-zero weather, and while towing a toboggan, 60 mph was max.

The SWT features a mechanical reverse and two gears and is reputed to be a workhorse when it comes to towing cargo. I met one Alaskan old-timer who uses two SWTs to haul gear and equipment in to remote settlements and some of the weights he spoke of were astonishing. The mechanical reverse is a bit cumbersome to those accustomed to the push-button reverse, available on other Ski-Doo models, but is easily mastered with little time on the trail.

The sled has a nifty under-the-seat storage area and a rear cargo rack and tow assembly. For packing stuff about in the snowy backcountry, it is a dream machine. Ski-Doo slaps on a cargo strap on the rear of the seat that seems to double as a backup fastener to keep the seat closed, should you forget to fasten the latch. This strap seemed out of place to me, and of little use and the fastening device for it, a pin that you slide through two holes, was difficult to manage in cold weather with gloves on and it came loose once during riding.

The only other item that I felt could use some refinement on this machine, as it could with all snowmachines, is the thumb throttle. I suppose I am one of those wimps that like to complain about the soreness of throttle-thumb, but I seriously hope some manufacturer finally does something to reduce, or eliminate it. After a long day of riding it can be really noticeable for some.

And oh, yes, I did manage to get the SWT stuck. Just once. Craig Compeau, who runs Compeau’s historic and respected Ski-Doo dealership in Fairbanks, challenged me to get the sled stuck. So, I tried my hardest and eventually succeeded. And, it was only because I asked it to do something that any machine would most likely fail at. I found a deep, steep gully filled with six feet of fresh powder. Down one side and up and over the other I dared the sled. So down a very steep slope I went and up the opposing side I flew, all the while breaking trail in this very deep snow. About 20 feet from the crest, the SWT bogged down. Did I mention it had a handicap? Behind me was a toboggan with ice auger, shovels, fishing equipment, food, spare clothing, two sleeping bags and additional survival gear. Without the cargo sled I imagine the SWT would have chewed its way over the top. As it was I ended up reversing back down the slope, with walls of snow brushing my shoulders! At the bottom, while backing up I managed to dig a hole in the snow and so that is how The Beast got stuck. It wasn’t long before it was unstuck though, and the second attempt up the challenging slope resulted in success. I have no doubt that most machines would not have been able to climb out of such a steep gully with that much fresh snow.

Caribou shown here milling about along the Denali Highway were a common sight while riding along on this SkiDoo Skandic Super Wide Track sled in the middle of winter. John Wyman photo.

So, to sum it up, this 610-pound-plus beast is a winner. I have yet to come across a machine that performs as admirably in deep snow as the Ski-Doo Skandic SWT does. And, it does it with flare. When you hear utility sled, you get a certain impression and usually it isn’t all that positive. The SWT however, combines the best of a utility sled with the features and styling of higher-performance, more attractive machines, and the result is more than respectable for the guys I ride with.

As it was in Cantwell, and as it will be in your neck of the woods when the going gets rough, the SWT is the envy of all! If speed and high-marking are not your goals and you want to be able to go when those other machines can’t, this is the ideal sled for you. It is absolutely perfect for hunting and fishing applications, can’t be beat for towing cargo, and is enough of a machine to enjoy for most general riding and touring.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about this go anywhere, do anything snowmachine:

Compeau's Ski-Doo Dealership in Fairbanks, Alaska (907-479-2271) or (1-800-478-7669)

Official Ski-Doo Web Site:
http://www.skidoo.com

Author’s note: This article was first published in February, 1999. Since then the Ski-Doo Skandic SWT has continued to rule the deep-snow. The sled has enjoyed a few refinements from Bombardier, including newer, more power ROTAX engine options.