Yeah, up in that region I'd definitely go with a cab: I shelled out an additional $3k for mine; I cannot say thank you enough to all the folks who encouraged me to go with a cab. Even in the mild PNW here I decided to go with a cab. Backhoes, unless one has a LOT of digging (I prefer an excavator for digging), wouldn't be as cost effective as a cab (heat, AC, keeps out bugs, and, for me, keeps me from being ripped up by blackberry canes).