Deep Snow- have ATV, but no sled ????

[TwinBay]

Hey folks-
The snow is so deep that an ATV gets stuck, yet I dont have a sled.
How do you move full 15 and 25 gallon totes to get them close to the evaporator ???
Gotta sort this out for next year vs building a harness and dragging them out.
Tobogan kept flipping over.

[Zamkev]

Hey TwinBay,

Not sure if you followed my thread from a few weeks back (evaporator expedition) but here is a pic of an ATV my neighbor has retrofitted with tracks. It had no problem pulling my evaporator (approx 600lbs) through a couple ft of snow. The sled is a $20 homemade rig - freezer door with a half barrel on the front as a snow break. The track option might be something worth looking into.

5656

[can'twaitforabigrun]

A set of chains for your atv will help. There are many different opinions on whether to put them on the front two tires or back two tires. We made a plywood box to place on the front rack of our atv and made two holes in the top, in which we can put two 5 gallon pails. Therefore, since we have the wait of the sap on the front we put the chains on the back, they help out a lot going up hills, as we tap trees in two gullies. Also I would recommend packing down the trails with snowshoes and letting it freeze overnight, whether hauling by hand or by atv. (if it ever does freeze again this spring!). Once you have a track, repeatedly go over it with your atv and pack it down before hauling any sap. When collecting start out at your highest point and work your way downhill if possible, so you aren't hauling sap uphill. If it is absolutely necessary to haul your sap by hand try to find a old hood off of a vehicle, they are saucer shaped and will glide over snow quite well, flip it upside down place your tote on it, and drill a hole in one end and attach a rope to it.
I hope this helps.

[TwinBay]

Thanks folks-
Packed the trail continually, but being 150 miles from our bush makes it tough. One good 2 ft dump and it makes that impossible.
Other contributing factor is our bush is at the bottom of the 2nd gulley essentially. oh well.
Found that the ATV gets hung up by the belly when the chains dig in, and now with all the mushy snow, the wheels just spin.

Like the car hood idea- will keep thinking along those lines.
This short season has made this all moot, but something to plan for 2013