Ready to hit the trails with my new toy

I’m picking up my new ATV today, I hope! Am I excited? Yes, but my wife would tell you I never get excited about anything, but this is different!

I purchased a Polaris Trail Boss ATV in Kodiak back in 1988. That machine was the “big rig” of its day with its 250 cc engine. I still have the machine and it still runs. However, it, like me, is getting older and, in the machine’s case, getting parts is tough. Come to think of it, I guess that would apply to me too.

That little Polaris has served me well over these many years and has done everything I’ve ever asked it to do. It has towed my trailered 12-foot boat over some nasty, muddy trails. It has carried an entire caribou, plus gear, out 15 miles on a remote hunt in Unit 13. I’ve hauled out an entire moose in two trips when the temperatures were dipping below 5 degrees. After grossly exceeding the weight limits for both the front and rear racks with that moose, I had to replace the front shocks, and eventually, the rear shock! I finally wised up and got a meat trailer a few years later.

I’ve been back in the Knik River Public Use Area hunting moose with the ATV, but I only towed the meat trailer loaded with camp gear — no moose. I’ve done some icefishing using that ATV and gone on some “interesting” exploratory trips. One trip taught me the importance of paying attention to my GPS to find my way home while another trip brought home the point that, while ATVs can go into some amazing places, they are not mountain goats!

So, what am I getting as a new machine?

I’ve dreamed about the Polaris Ranger side-by-side, 6-wheeler for years. I have a friend who got one a few years ago and really tricked it out to run trails. I dreamed about having my own machine but never figured I would.

A few weeks ago, my wife asked me if I was still interested in getting that model machine. She said we’re not getting any younger and might as well enjoy what we can while we still can. When I mentioned the machine had a bench seat and could be set up with a full cab, including heater and windshield wipers, she expressed an interest in riding along on some trips. It comes with a front-mounted winch and I’m also getting it equipped with power steering on the advice of another owner with some trail riding experience.

Anyway, I visited with the folks at Hatcher Pass Polaris to get pricing and options. This machine, as I have ordered it, weighs about 2,000 pounds dry. It’s nine-feet long and five-feet wide. With the doors on the cab, I didn’t have a trailer big enough to haul it around, so finding a suitable trailer became the next step.

There’s a relatively new trailer outfit in Wasilla called Big Bubba’s Trailers. I know, the name caused me to wonder too. However, I did an Internet search and they are actually a big trailer manufacturer/distributor based in Utah and are well known throughout the western Lower 48 with an excellent reputation for building quality steel, powder-coated utility trailers. They’re looking to expand and get established in Alaska. I worked out a really good deal on a heavy-duty, twin-axle, car-hauler type flatbed trailer.

My next visit was to my local credit union to work out loan details. I was able to pay a large chunk of the total cost, got good rates on a loan for the balance, and didn’t totally destroy my savings account in the process.

As I write this, the ATV is being assembled in Willow and I already have the trailer in my possession. I’ve adding tie-downs and a few other small things. I just got the trailer titled and registered and I need to buy insurance for the ATV, but I’m looking forward to picking up the unit today. The sunny weather will make my first trip a lot more fun than riding around during a snowstorm!

I ran into a friend at the ATV shop while I was there. He asked that I give his phone number to my wife. When I asked why, he said he wanted to buy the machine after I died. With friends like that….