40 to 275 Horsepower in 13 Years

By: Chris Jones

It is really hard to believe the Overlander Ski Club has been operating the ski trails at Stake Lake for 14 seasons! When we took over the trail contract in 1991 we owned a very old Fischer Snowmaster Snowcat and an almost as old Alpine twin track snowmobile. We also had purchased an assortment of towable tracksetting and trail grooming equipment which provided varying degrees of

success in ski trail preparation and maintenance. From 1991 until 1995 the old Snowmaster and Alpine did yeoman service while also being the cause of much cursing by anyone who operated these two mechanical dinosaurs.

The snowcat, while only mustering 40 h.p. from its Volkswagon engine, could pull almost anything attached to its drawbar given its low gearing, but show it a hill with a curve and its ugly side was revealed. The machine had a definite aversion to turning corners when pulling a compacting pan and 2 tracksetters with added weights up Hold Up.

I swear, the "variater" steering system was designed by some drunken Scandanavian engineer who didn't like mechanics! Trying to negotiate the s-curves near the top was impossible and the whole rig would wind up off the trail in the rubbarb! Because the machine had no hydraulics to lift the implements behind it, the only solution was to disconnect everything and slide it back down the hill, reverse the snow cat back onto the trail, pointing it in a different direction, hooking the track-setting equipment back up and continuing on. It was very frustrating and hazardous, and when it came time to rethink our track-setting and grooming needs in 1995, it was with only slight sadness that we bid farewell to the Fischer, as it departed for some remote wilderness lodge in Kootenay country.

The purchase of our first Bombardier snowcat, a 1990 BR400+, was a huge step for the club and was not undertaken lightly. The initial outlay coupled with the possibility of huge repair bills was discussed at great length, but at the same time it was realized that in order to provide a better skiing experience, and reduce operator fatigue and hazards, a more modern versatile snow groomer was needed. It was a step that we quickly realised was the right one. The ability of the machine to perform "one pass" grooming was the number one advantage, while being able to lift the tiller and tracksetters and actually back up was a real close second. The BR400+ was replaced in 2002 by a 1997 Plus M.P. This state of the art machine has many other nordic ski areas envious of the Overlander Ski Club!

Its 275 h.p. engine, hydrostatic drive system and electronic steering are all micro-processor controlled, the control system makes the machine unstallable on steep grades as it automatically controls ground speed according to the grade and engine speed. The steering levers require only fingertip control as there are no cables connecting the levers with the hydrostatic pumps as was the case on the previous machine. The YTS track-setting pans and arms are also the latest design with in-cab pressure controls for the pans provided by a dedicated hydraulic pump and control valve system.

Both the BR400+ and the 1997 Plus M.P. were purchased through the Bombardier used equipment program and financed with Bombardier capital. The cost of the Plus M.P. including the installation of the track-setting equipment was $111,000 (for a reconditioned machine!!). Vehicles sold through this program are usually lease return units and receive a thorough reconditioning service before being resold. Our machine has a totally rebuilt tiller with many new new parts and the tracks on the machine have all brand new rubber belts, just two items in a long list of replacements and repairs. Bombardier capital on the other hand allows the ski club to make repayments on our loan during our active ski season, December to April each year, which is very convenient.

The Overlander Ski Club can be justifiably proud of its achievements since that very tentative group decided way back to take over the Stake Lake Trail maintenance contract. Whether it is coaching, ski lessons, event organization, social activities or trail grooming, we are fortunate to have dedicated volunteers who strive to do the best they can and keep the club on the right track (pun intended)!