That was the white trail at Ringwood. It had about six inches to a foot of snow and had settled due to light foot traffic, but it was still loose and soft enough that traction or floatation was not a guarantee. The snowmobile tracks on the fire roads would support regular mtbs. The white trail would not have. There where other trails where we were breaking fresh tracks and were generally successful if the trail was flat to downhill. Fresh tracks uphill were pretty much no go. The biggest advantage of the fatties in these conditions is your ability to stay moving if you get off line. With a regular bike you're done as soon as you wander off the main track. With a fatty you can usually power through and get back on the track quickly. Momentum is your friend.
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