Powder in the face

[sled-in]

When I ride my sled across lakes with powder I have a problem with powder snow kicking up and whipping me in the face, its not a big problem if I wear my helmet or If I ride with my knee on the seat and my face above the windshield. But it seems to me that there's a vacuum pocket behind the windshield that is sucking the snow in. Does anyone else have this problem? Last year I was wearing my hunting jacket and the hood filled right up with snow.

What I'm trying this year is I took a 2" holesaw and made a hole on the front of the dash on either side, I'm hopeing that those holes will pull some air in from under the hood giving me some warm air and take away that vacuum. My father inlaw has a tundra and he has no problem with snow whipping up in his face and can keep things warm when he puts them on the dash.

[toddyrotten]

go slower

[Raquettedacker]

Get a taller windshield.   I hope your hood on the slead dosnt fill up with snow now.

[firemb]

If your rear suspension is set up for more ski pressure it may be forcing your front end down. back off your limiter strap a bit, but not enough that your skis are always in the air.

[sled-in]

go slower

NO 

"Get a taller windshield.   I hope your hood on the slead dosnt fill up with snow now."

It is a high windshield, a shorter one would work better, its the snow being sucked in behind the high windshield thats the problem, if I look back I get snow in the face. It was my jacket hood that filled with snow.

"If your rear suspension is set up for more ski pressure it may be forcing your front end down. back off your limiter strap a bit, but not enough that your skis are always in the air."

I changed to a deeper lug track last year and made some big changes to the angle of my track, I drilled out a lower hole for the front and bolted the back of the track on higher, I forget how I set the straps, but its all set up for going through deep powder, And yes if I go up an incline and give it a bit of gas

[mealworm]

wear a helmet with a visor, in ny by law you have to wear a helmet when operating a snowmobile or atv

[sled-in]

wear a helmet with a visor, in ny by law you have to wear a helmet when operating a snowmobile or atv

Yep, its the law here too, but where I'm talking about riding no one will stop me for riding without a helmet. Don't get me wrong, I do like to wear my helmet it is way more comfortable to wear my helmet then to wear a hat+sunglasses+facemask, but when we break trail in it can be a really hot and sweaty job, you go a little ways then you have to work again, then the helmet is just a pain to put on and take off (have you ever had a sweaty wet helmet, taken it off to work then put it back on?). Then once I'm at the cabin, I don't put on a helmet to just ride to a fishing spot on the lake (thats the time that really gets me about the powder in the face)

[sled-in]

So does anyone think the holes I made in the dash will help?

Does anyone else have this problem when riding in powder snow on the lakes?

[CMMahy]

So does anyone think the holes I made in the dash will help?

No.

The snow swirling in behind the windshield is basic aerodynamic effects, look at all the snow on the back of a highway big rig in the winter, same effect on a sled. It doesn't happen to your FIL on the Tundra because they simply don't go fast enough under most conditions for it to happen. Nothing short of completely removing the windshield will prevent it. Two small holes in the dash won't let nearly enough air into the area  behind the windshield to change anything. As far as letting warm air up, there isn't much heat sitting around under the hood of the sled to begin with. Most fan-cooled sleds have the warm air ducted or directed out the side of the sled's cab, and what little warm air coming off the exhaust will be forced out the footwell by your right foot.

You can try putting a longer snowflap on the back of the tunnel, that might keep the snow down a bit and help with cooling on a liquid cooled sled.

Otherwise, you've got 3 options:

   - Wear your helmet so it doesn't bother your face
   - Slow Down
   - Get used to it, like everyone else who rides in the powder.