We dip back into Doug Williamson’s vault of great vintage snowmobile photos from the Cranbrook Snowmobile Club Vintage Rally last February.
Single-ski and double-track were some of the features that made the Ski-Doo Alpine a truly unique snowmobile. This week we showcase two vintage Ski-Doo models: one the Ski-Doo Alpine (the world’s slowest snowmobile) and the other is a more sporty late 1970’s or early 1980’s Ski-Doo 340 (Olympique, TNT or Everest – can’t quite ID the model).
The single-ski Ski-Doo Alpine is somewhat of a classic among old sled enthusiasts. These old sleds build on Ski-Doo’s early heritage of manufacturing a snowmobile or "tracked vehicle" to get “woodsmen through the forest and muskeg and then back home safely.”
Thus the Alpine proved popular as a work sled for utility companies, game wardens, trappers, pipeline inspectors or anyone who needed to check on remote locations or lines in the middle of winter.
Purportedly the double-tracked Alpine was the “world’s slowest” moving snowmobile but extremely reliable and dependable, so it’s little wonder that backwoodsmen, hunters and workmen loved the machines. Today’s equivalent to the Ski-Doo Alpine would be more utilitarian snowmobiles like the Tundra, Skandic and Expedition.
A Ski-Doo 340 graces the snow nicely in the foreground of the picture and looks like it is in great physical and running condition. Thanks again to Doug for sharing his vintage snowmobile photos with us.
Do you have a vintage sled restoration? Tell us about it! We would love to share your old sled story.
