While we're on the subject, I went on a snowcat skiing trip in Cataldo, Idaho a couple years ago. This guy and his wife run the operation, and the guy was at one time a Thiokol mechanic and has tons of experience working on snowcats. He has a couple older Thiokol Sprites, a couple mid to late 80's LMC's that were designed for utility use, a super nice LMC that was maybe only a couple years old that he used to break and maintain roads, and the cat they used to transport skiers? A Thiokol undercarriage with a Chevy or Dodge crew club van body (14 passengers) all jacked up and fabbed onto the Thiokol undercarriage. The motor was a big block Ford gas motor with 6" chrome pipes coming out the back. That thing ROARED when it would take off. The guy is truly a mechanic genius, the whole rig was custom. Guy does the snowcat skiing operation as well as provide access to remote cell tower sites for phone company's service technicians during the winter. Makes pretty good coin.
My ultimate goal, and it's a farfetched one, is to start up a snowcat skiing operation back in my home town. I've done a lot of backcounty skiing and just love getting up in the hills and out civilization to ski some awesome terrain. The terrain would be perfect with good snowfall and an average elevation of 8,000 feet plus. Problem is getting the permits to do so. I can only dream of such an operation.