Ideas about traveling thru slush?

[mnhunter2]

Looks like we have a lot of slush under the snow in southern mn and we haven’t fished in these conditions and looking for thought on travel with UTV and tracks?

[kmu70]

Unfortunately down here in ne PA we do. it sucks. most lakes down here we cant use machines. so we have to trudge thru it. but once someone does ,it gets exposed,it freezes  and you have a trail .follow that trail and continue further or break off to your spot . just breaking thru first time is a b***h. not sure how machines handle it. cant help you there.

[Drifter_016]

I hate that stuff. Luckily I have a long track sled with tons of HP so I just pin the throttle and skim over the top of it.   

[slipperybob]

I have been sitting out this season so far just because of the slush conditions and higher snow.  Not as strong as I used to be, so I need to wait for easier condition.

[kmu70]

omg! thats frkn awesome. you guide! some people would pay for that

[albo]

I chain up the 4 wheeler with v-bars on all 4 wheels and my Honda will chew through a lot of slush

[esox_xtm]

I hate that stuff. Luckily I have a long track sled with tons of HP so I just pin the throttle and skim over the top of it.   

Yep! And don't stop till ya git where yer goin'... The slush I hate the most is a frozen layer of it that holds your weight most of the time but then breaks through to 6 - 8 inches of water with the layer of real ice beneath that.

[POk3s]

Snow machines or smitty sleds if you’re walking!

Also, buying a harness really helps out. I bought the “Jay rope” for dual purpose as a rescue rope as well.

[Bucket Rump]

On a snowmobile you need to keep the speed up or you'll get bogged down.  I you want to stop and the location is slushy drive past the spot and circle back so you can park in the packed down track you just made.

[hawg]

Good luck getting those tracks to turn once the slush freezes them solid. Tracks on slush is about the worst option unless you don’t stop.

[meandcuznalfy]

Good luck getting those tracks to turn once the slush freezes them solid. Tracks on slush is about the worst option unless you don’t stop.

If you take the time to clean them out your ok, it's a pia, but saves misery later.

[Prairie Bear]

J-wheels

[icefishman]

Don’t!

[Akhardwater]

I’ve been dealing with serious overflow issues all season and I just expect that it’s going to be wherever I want to go.  As others have said you just have to pin it and blow through it till you either get out of it or hit land.  If you are running a 4-wheeler or a side by side you’re just asking for trouble.  I don’t care how mean you think your rig is when you get into the deep stuff you’re screwed, just leave the wheeled or tracked rigs at home.  When you blast through overflow on your snow machine it’s a good idea to run it through some dry powder to help dry off any water that got into your track or boggy wheels.  Once the water has frozen I chip it all out with a rubber mallet so not to damage any of the plastic components.  Make sure you knock off all the ice from the underside of the tunnel as well.  Overflow is a real PIA but being properly prepared to deal with it can save you a lot of trouble.  I carry a full recovery system which includes a ropealong style comealong, 50’ of 1/2” line, 200’ of 3/8” line, 2 big ice screws used for ice climbing,  carabiners and pulleys so I can make a block and tackle system if absolutely necessary.  I also carry under my seat a pair of Wiggys hip boots that will fit over my snow gear so if the overflow is really deep I can slip these on before I get of my sled so I can keep my feet dry while I work on getting unstuck.  This might seem like a little overkill for most but when your 30 miles from nowhere by yourself and it’s pushing that -40 range you’ll be happy you have the proper tools.  Good luck out there and stay dry.

[Drifter_016]

I’ve been dealing with serious overflow issues all season and I just expect that it’s going to be wherever I want to go.  As others have said you just have to pin it and blow through it till you either get out of it or hit land.  If you are running a 4-wheeler or a side by side you’re just asking for trouble.  I don’t care how mean you think your rig is when you get into the deep stuff you’re screwed, just leave the wheeled or tracked rigs at home.  When you blast through overflow on your snow machine it’s a good idea to run it through some dry powder to help dry off any water that got into your track or boggy wheels.  Once the water has frozen I chip it all out with a rubber mallet so not to damage any of the plastic components.  Make sure you knock off all the ice from the underside of the tunnel as well.  Overflow is a real PIA but being properly prepared to deal with it can save you a lot of trouble.  I carry a full recovery system which includes a ropealong style comealong, 50’ of 1/2” line, 200’ of 3/8” line, 2 big ice screws used for ice climbing,  carabiners and pulleys so I can make a block and tackle system if absolutely necessary.  I also carry under my seat a pair of Wiggys hip boots that will fit over my snow gear so if the overflow is really deep I can slip these on before I get of my sled so I can keep my feet dry while I work on getting unstuck.  This might seem like a little overkill for most but when your 30 miles from nowhere by yourself and it’s pushing that -40 range you’ll be happy you have the proper tools.  Good luck out there and stay dry.

I need to get me one of those rope-a-long things sometime.

[Akhardwater]

I found out the hard way that they don’t like 3/8” line so make sure you get a good chunk of 1/2” line or else your gonna have a bad time.😄

[Drifter_016]

I found out the hard way that they don’t like 3/8” line so make sure you get a good chunk of 1/2” line or else your gonna have a bad time.😄

I always thought they were built for 1/2" line. 

[jethro]

I hate that stuff. Luckily I have a long track sled with tons of HP so I just pin the throttle and skim over the top of it.   

Yup! 200 Turbo charged horsepower and don't follow me cause you gonna get wet if you do!

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

I hate that stuff. Luckily I have a long track sled with tons of HP so I just pin the throttle and skim over the top of it.   

AKA " GRIP IT AND RIP IT " 

[meandcuznalfy]

AKA " GRIP IT AND RIP IT " 

When in doubt gas it

[eriksat1]

Here in NW Wisconsin we are dealing with really deep snow with slush/water under that, then ice that maybe has a slush layer inside also. I have been stuck with a snowmobile before in deep slush it is no fun and can take 1/2 a day to get yourself out. ATV 4 wheeler is out of the question. For that reason I am thinking about other options, snow shoes or maybe cross country ski's ? I did snow shoes once and ended up taking them off, the deep snow just fell in on top of them and it was worse having them on than without them. I never tried cross country ski's anyone try that route?
I'm going through ice fishing withdrawal.

[Drifter_016]

AKA " GRIP IT AND RIP IT " 

"PIN IT TO WIN IT"  

[Drifter_016]

Here in NW Wisconsin we are dealing with really deep snow with slush/water under that, then ice that maybe has a slush layer inside also. I have been stuck with a snowmobile before in deep slush it is no fun and can take 1/2 a day to get yourself out. ATV 4 wheeler is out of the question. For that reason I am thinking about other options, snow shoes or maybe cross country ski's ? I did snow shoes once and ended up taking them off, the deep snow just fell in on top of them and it was worse having them on than without them. I never tried cross country ski's anyone try that route?
I'm going through ice fishing withdrawal.

My solution to slush and thin ice. 

[zcm_82]

My solution to slush and thin ice. 

Is it full of eels?

[eriksat1]

A hovercraft would be sweet but out of my price range.
This is the most depressing ice season I think I have ever dealt with. We got maybe 3-4 inches of good ice then got dumped on with about 17" of snow. And now it seems we get an additional 3 or 4 inches of snow at least once a week. It could get down to minus -50*f  and I doubt it would ever freeze up the slush under all this snow.

[Jack978]

Here in NW Wisconsin we are dealing with really deep snow with slush/water under that, then ice that maybe has a slush layer inside also. I have been stuck with a snowmobile before in deep slush it is no fun and can take 1/2 a day to get yourself out. ATV 4 wheeler is out of the question. For that reason I am thinking about other options, snow shoes or maybe cross country ski's ? I did snow shoes once and ended up taking them off, the deep snow just fell in on top of them and it was worse having them on than without them. I never tried cross country ski's anyone try that route?
I'm going through ice fishing withdrawal.

Depending on your skill level with CC skis you can do pretty well.  For a novice it's not as easy as it looks.  I learned to ski CC on clunky looking military skis which were way wider than what you see in the stores today as well as you had to properly wax them.  The difference was the wider ski let you carry a heavier load or pull a pulk rigged sled without sinking in.  You aren't going to set any land speed records but at a walking pace you can actually cover a lot of ground without post holing or sinking in to your neck.   They have done it that way in Scandinavia for a long time because it works.   New style CC skis have fish scale patterns to bite into the snow.  That means you don't have to wax them, but you want to make sure and get ones that can handle wet snow and a load.  It will take some getting used to but once you master it you can really move.  I wouldn't go with cheap skis from Amazon.  If your serious go to a reputable outdoor store and get properly equipped with skis that fit you and what you want to do.   

[stripernut]

This winter has got me thinking about a DIY Airboat, one that I could use for ice, but also for running some rivers (the only way I could justify the cost)... Mount a good trolling motor with a spot lock (soft water) and you could have a real fishing machine. Much more research needs to go into this idea, but so far... Maybe something like this;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOsl2eZJ5IQ

Here is an interesting video;

[Skywagon]

This winter has got me thinking about a DIY Airboat, one that I could use for ice, but also for running some rivers (the only way I could justify the cost)... Mount a good trolling motor with a spot lock (soft water) and you could have a real fishing machine. Much more research needs to go into this idea, but so far... Maybe something like this;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOsl2eZJ5IQ

Here is an interesting video;

That tub looks like an accident waiting to happen.