Blew a starter rope on my 2017 Polaris 450 in the middle of a trail near Silver Creek last weekend

Had to push that 700-pound beast two miles back to the truck because my tool roll didn't have a spare rope and my buddy's sled was buried in a drift on the other side of the ridge - anyone else carry extra starter ropes after a breakdown like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

mary_kelly26d ago

Oh man, that "pushed 700 pounds two miles" part hit me right in the gut. I did almost the exact same thing three winters ago up near Eagle River, blew my rope on a 2016 Polaris and had to tow the thing with a tree branch and my buddy's snowmobile for like four miles. I was so mad at myself because I had a spare rope sitting in my garage the whole time. Now I keep two extras in my tunnel bag along with a cheap little pull handle in case the whole assembly snaps. I also learned the hard way to bring a basic repair kit with a pocket knife and some zip ties because you never know what else is gonna break out there. Silver Creek can be brutal too, I've heard stories from guys who got stuck out there overnight because of stuff like this.

shah.ben25d ago

Wait, are you sure it was Eagle River and not somewhere closer to the Petersville area? I remember that 2016 Polaris rope issue was super common on the switchbacks, but I thought that was mainly a problem with the 600s, not the 800s. Either way, good call on the spare rope and pull handle. I've been carrying a spare recoil spring and a little tool roll with a 10mm socket and a hex key set after I snapped a throttle cable on a rental sled once. Silver Creek is no joke, but these days guys are getting way too reliant on GPS and inReach instead of just fixing their sled on the spot.