New work machine has finally arrived.

Seen at Houghton Power sports being set up.

The BRP Defender.  With 70+ HP, it has the power we need to operate in snow with.
Our beloved Rhino was dearly short on power.

A new work machine, a Can-Am Defender, arrived this week after a 4 year wait.  OK, maybe I should explain that a bit. :-)
Keweenaw Nordic purchased their first UTV about 6 years ago and discovered just how more efficient fall trail clearing and bridge work could be done by using one.  Its name really does mean "utility ATV" to us.  A few years after that, the Rhino was equipped for winter operations and we discovered its added utility during the snow season. For the first time, we could move people and tools to a work site in cold, snowy conditions, while keeping them warm and safe.  While the Rhino was not the most important tow machine we had, it definitely saw many, many hours of use then. In general, it was a strong tow machine, so we liked to have it out when deeper snow fell.   Sadly, we discovered that the Rhino's little motor was short on power, so while it excelled when snow was deep, the engine would be pushed to the max.  So over the years we've been looking for another UTV with more towing capacity, plus a larger work box.  We try to replace our tow machines every 5 years and the Rhino aged to 6, this past winter.  This fall Can-Am announced a new, work-specific model - the Defender - which touts the most towing torque in the industry.  Plus many more features which will be invaluable in keeping the snow and our trails in shape.