One of the first years we had our Can-Am Maverick X3, I took my wife and three kids into the woods in the middle of winter. We'd already run a few snowy trails that season and were heading to a spot we could take the kids sledding deep in the backcountry. But it was later in the season, the weather had turned slightly warmer, and while the start of the trail was pretty packed, once you got further, only the top layer was hard.
Beneath lie essentially quicksand. I think you know where I'm going with this.
After sledding and a nice backcountry lunch, we went a little further down the trail to see if we could get to another sledding spot, but we began slipping and sliding and sinking as we ventured further and further. I made the brilliant executive decision to then turn around, but almost immediately sunk the entire thing up to its frame rails. I wasn't super panicked about the situation, as we had plenty of sun, the weather was warm, and I had a set of MaxTrax hooked up to the top of the side-by-side.
Yeah, uh, those weren't enough. It took my wife and me over an hour to dig out the tires and frame, wedge the MaxTrax and a handful of large dead tree trunks underneath the tires for added grip, and a lone ratchet strap to finally get out of the situation. It wasn't my brightest moment.
That's why I was so keen on testing Can-Am's new Apache XC track system up in Northern Utah a few weeks back. To see whether or not I, a man who has a habit of getting side-by-sides stuck in snow, could do just that. I'm happy to report that I couldn't and now see why they're a thing.
Plus, you turn your rig into a tank, and that's just plain cool.
Our destination was Beaver Creek Lodge, as Can-Am was introducing us to the redesigned Apache track system. New on the tracks are, well, a new track design for better "traction, flotation, and lateral
stability" thanks to more aggressive lugs, more heavy-duty wheels that have a new optimized location for better rolling resistance, a higher top speed, and better longevity, reduced NVH, and an added center slide that "allows for optimized track alignment and reduces the occurrence of de-tracking."
We actually got up close and personal with the prior system, too, and the two systems look only vaguely similar, denoting how much work Can-Am's engineers put into these new Apache tracks. And according to our hosts at Uncharted Society, it only takes about a half hour to install the new set of tracks, compared to the two hours the old system used to take. All you need other do is install an adapter plate and then bolt the tracks right up.
Easy-peasy.
As for operation, our journey took us through the Cache National Forest—something the state of Utah's legislature hates is public—and into the quakie aspens, up into the dark timber, and onto a large plain of freshly fallen snow. It was spectacularly beautiful as we zig-zagged through the public lands and zipped up and down mountainsides, the snow shimmering brightly in the morning sun.
I'd never driven tracked vehicles before, apart from snowmobiles—and these aren't snowmobiles—so I wondered how the whole thing would feel, especially having driven a number of Can-Am Defenders in my life. The experience wasn't out of the normal feeling of a regular side-by-side, though you definitely felt the increased ride height and taller center of gravity with the tracks on it. But it didn't feel tippy, as I would've expected. Instead, the weight of the tracks made you feel far more connected to the snow and trail. I felt more the suspension rolling than anything else.
At one point, we had to traverse a pretty steep hill. Something on the order of over a 15-degree decline, and I was sure that I'd feel unsteady in the Defender. But that wasn't the case. At least not after the initial dip. It just leaned a bit more onto its front shocks, settled, and we puttered down the face of this edge.
Speed, however, is a thing to know about as the top speed of these Apache XC tracks is about 29 mph. On a downhill. That's designed that way as to not burn out the tracks, blow up components, and reduce the risk for drivers of doing something outside the limits of their vehicles. Backcountry tracks are available, however, both for the Defender and Maverick platforms, which will allow for faster speeds.
These tracks did, however, deal with some pretty deep snow without issue.
As we crested over a rise, and passed the timbers, we found ourselves in what appeared to be a large meadow. In fact, the snow was just so deep, we couldn't see that this used to be a small grove of trees that had been cut down. We were told we can "Go play" in the field and play we did.
Hand on heart, I figured someone was gonna flip a Defender, as the cuts and hard corners we all took seemed primed for flippage. Yet, despite our best efforts, I mean, our expert driving, none of us managed to put a Defender on its side. What I learned, however, was that you can get yourself out of just about anything with these tracks, as even when you're just gunning it from a stop in soft, deep snow, the new lug pattern and tread design will claw their way out as if there's nothing in their way. They just eat and eat and eat.
And that's perfect for those who use these machines daily.
There are plenty of places all around this country where outside work doesn't stop just because it starts snowing. Where work doesn't stop just because you'll get your tire-driven side-by-side stuck in a snow bank. You still need to get shit done and these tracks are a way you can still do that. You can also use them to have fun, mind you, as we did. But for the vast majority of folks who are buying tracks for their side-by-sides, you want something that'll work day in and day out, to get you into the snow, out of the snow, and get work done. These do that.
What does hurt my brain, though, is the pricing. The Apache XC track system will set you back $5,549. Granted, they essentially allow you to only need one vehicle to rule them all, but the price is a hard pill to swallow. That said, its utility makes it an invaluable tool for someone who absolutely needs to get out into the snow for work or play. And on the day I got our Maverick X3 stuck, as my kids cried they wanted to go home, I would've absolutely said it was worth it.
