Mountain Sled on Trail rideable

Hej,
I wanted to know if it is a good idea to go with a mtn sled on a longer trailride. I don't think of grommed trails but of at least 30cm (12") of snow. Is it comfortable and is an sled with an 16x151 oder 15x159 track still good "manouveralbe"?

Thank you.

Quirl

The longer the track, the smoother the ride. 151's are great on the trails, they ride awesome, and will still turn. You say you wont be on groomed trails and thats important, if you do go on groomed trails and run a 2" paddle track the hyfax wear is VERY bad. ===SRXSRULE===

SRXSRULE, thank you very much for the quick and precise answer!
Coming from germany, I don't really know what the/a hyfax or the hyfax wear is. Something like the round rolls over that the track glide? What does a very bad hyfax wear mean for my ride quality or the snowmobile? Will anything be damaged?
Am I right that so called crossover-sleds are a huge compromise? I now know its possible to ride with a mtn sled on a snowy trail but I don't think that a 1.25" ripsaw track is a good choice when its getting steeper and deeper.
What should be my choice when I want to go for a little travel AND drive up the hills?
Again: Thx.
Quirl

Where do you live at and where do you plan to ride most of the time? Cross over sleds, or hybrids are in the 136-144 track length with 1.25-1.5 lugs. the Hyfax is a piece of plastic (normally black) that is mounted to the bottom of the rear suspension. It is replaceable and is a wear item that needs replaced after time. In good snow conditions you can get 1000-3000+ miles out of a set of hyfax. In bad condition or when running a deep lug track on a groomed trail they can be worn out in as little as 100 miles, and if the machine is ridden with worn hyfax the repair bills can get high real quick. Any track with a lug of 1.5 or higher needs a min. of 2" of fresh or loose snow on the trail. An 1.25" track does "OK" off trails but is not very good for climbing. they do offer many tracks in 1.5,1.75,2.0,2.25, and 2.5. You need to choose the best track for you based on the conditions and terrian you will spend most of your riding doing. ===SRXSRULE===

Out west we ride mountain sleds on the trails all the time. Although we usaully only stay on the trail long enough to get to good stuff. (off trail riding)! Most of us use 1.5" to 2.25" lug tracks.
With the taller lugs, many of the sled's use "ice scratchers". They are spring steel bars that mount to the slide rail or ski. When we get to hard packed trails, we stop and put the scratches down. They scrape/scratch the ice as you ride, throwing up a fine mist of ice/snow. This lube's the hyfax, and cools the heat exchangers. They are very effective.

I want to go on a trip in Canada. Revelstoke and other areas where the temperature is low, the snow is deep and trees seem to be made of snow (http://sledrevelstoke.com/v-web/gallery/frisby/Xmas_2002_095). The tour should go from lodge to lodge (staying in a lodge for a few days), from one good area to another by travelling (hopefully) through powder and trees, up and down the mountians and of course not over groomed trails.
I don't want to beat any hill climbing record (maybe.... ). I want to get comfortably, easy, fast and with fun from one point to another without several times getting stuck.
My next problem is that I'm not that tall and heavy (5'10" (177cm) and 138lbs (63kg)) - do I have to expect problems with steering and driving a little heavier yamaha sled? An Arctic Cat M7 weights (when the firms measure correctly) 118lbs (53kg) less than an Apex Mtn....
Well... I don't want to warm up the "2- vs. 4 stroke-fight", because I think 4-strokers will dominate the snowmobile market in a few years.
Thank you for your replies. Quirl

I've been to Revy, and Golden BC. There is lots of trailering up logging roads and lots of riding chop to get to the powder. Clear days are very rare. The Yellowstone or Idaho in late Feb. may be your best bet for a combination of powder meadows, trails and accomodations. BC can be nasty.

Thank you ModMMax - somebody else got route suggestions (maybe the wrong place to discuss a route...)? What about my weight and height problem? Thank you. Quirl

McCall Id. is an excellent place to ride! Depending on weather conditions, there is usaully plenty of Idaho powder to ride in!
As for your height and weight, I would consider it an advantage, in the mountain's. Less mass that the sled has to move up the hill's. You probably would want a fairly light sled though.
I would think a Mountain Viper should get you around pretty good, the 144" should get you around quite well. They are kind of overlooked now, with Yamaha focusing so much attention on the 4 strokes. However they are lighter, respond well to mod's, and with the new skid (lighter) and mountain ski's, can make a nice mountain sled.

I put a set of hartman ice scratchers on my simmons skis. I havnt tested them out yet as i am taking my sled back to northern michigan next week, but they look like they will work perfect. Hartman ice scratchers will only work on simmons skis though. I paid $50 for them. I have a 144 2.25 track and if they do the job ill keep the track. if not, im going to go to a shorter lug track like maybe 1.5 at the tallest. Extra wheels on mountain sleds for trail riding also greatly reduce the hyfax wear, especially the marginal snow wheel kit mounted at the very front of the skid where the rails start to bend. SRX's are nortoriously known for this wear problem up front.