The following scenario would be typical for a snowmobiler’s day.It is early morning., the sun is out and you are fueled up and ready to go.You say to your riding group, " Wow! The Trails Council did another great job last night."  The miles fade into the distance behind you and you are just having a blast. After a great ride to your destination (hopefully the ACSC Clubhouse), it is time to head back home. As you return home, that trail that was smooth eight hours ago, now looks more like an old time washboard. What the heck happened to the trail we rode on this morninig? This question is asked hundreds of times every weekend. The answers are not simple because good trails depend on a number of factors, temperature, amount and kind of snow, and the traffic during the day.  Snow can be fluffy like cotton, wet and sloppy, granular like sugar and any one of a hundred variations in between.  As we ride over the smooth trails, the packed snow is loosened a bit as each sled passes. Each machine tends to sink in where the snow is soft and the harder portions of the trail become the tops of the growing moguls.  Spinning tracks and speeding around corners loosens the snow even faster.  After hundreds of sleds have passed over a trail, it becomes mogul city.  In addition, temperatures above freezing are deadly to any trail no matter where it is located and how much snow is on it. 

 The Jordan Valley Trails Council* (JVTC )grooms our trail system every day / night, weather permitting but there is no way that we can keep those trails smooth 24 hours a day. There are a few things in life that fall under the heading of impossible and freshly groomed trails 24/7 is an impossible dream.   Three groomers cannot keep 120 miles of trails smooth when hundreds of sleds rip up and down them, spinning tracks, sliding around corners and tearing up the fresh groom. We do go out and try to repair the damage and make the trails smooth for the next day, but the next day the hundreds of sleds are back, tearing up the freshly groomed snow.

After hundreds of riders have torn up the trails, it is the responsibility of the groomer drivers to fix the damage and make it smooth for the next day.  Grooming requires that we first fill the tractors with diesel and check the oil and emergency lighting, boy it is going to be a long night. Our drivers prefer to go at night because they need to groom the trails when there are fewer sleds on them.  Lower traffic volume means the trail has a better chance to "set up" and is much safer for everyone. We are now rolling down the trail at a speedy 5 to 8 miles per hour. We look out ahead of our front blade and all we can see are moguls!  It’s going to be a long trip around the loop tonight!  We drop the front blades and drag as low as possible. The drag is that big long thing we pull behind the grooming. We have to get the blades of the drag down to the bottom of the moguls. If we only skim the top of the mogul, then we are wasting our time. If we cut off the top of the mogul, snow held in the drag will be deposited in the low spots between the moguls.  The trail will look smooth behind the drag but it is not, after the first couple of sleds pass over it. By running our blades on the front of the drag and the tractor as low as we can, we take the whole mogul out. Now that the front blade of the drag has taken out the mogul, the snow is funneled through a series of other blades before it reaches the pan. (The pan is located at the very back of the drag.)  As the snow goes under the pan, it gets flattened out and packed down. 

Groomers call the snow that comes out from under the pan "The Ribbon".  Every groomer operator loves a good ribbon. Now comes the most important part of grooming. The ribbon needs time and cold temperatures to "set up".  If the temperature is at or above freezing, the ribbon will not set up. If these conditions last, the trail will not hold up the following day to all of the sled traffic.  When it is cold out and we have some new snow, the ribbon will set up and will harden up almost like cement.  When the weather is cold, the groomer operators are happy because the trails can then take a bigger beating and will last longer. We also use the front blades on the groomer when we have to bring snow back into a corner where the speed demons have thrown it out.

I hope you are still with me and are paying attention because you have learned something about making your trails smooth.  I have explained how a mogul starts, what we do to get rid of them and how the ribbon looks and feels. I will now explain how one should treat the ribbon when you meet a groomer. When you are on a narrow trail, you must ride on the ribbon after you meet a groomer. When this happens, don't spin your track right away. Speed won't hurt the ribbon but stopping and starting will. When you meet a groomer on a wide trail you probably say, "Wow fresh trails, but don't jump on the ribbon right away because the snow hasn’t had a chance to set up yet.  If it is reasonably smooth on the old section, stay on the old section and let the new ribbon set up.  If the trail is rough, by all means get on the smooth part since we don't want you to ride on rough trails. Just be careful how you treat the ribbon at first. All it takes is a couple of sleds ruined the riding on that section of the trail for the following day. 

Weather is the major deciding factor in determining the condition of the trails and how long a freshly groomed trail lasts. Cold is good, colder is better and low sled traffic and a cold night insure a good ride the next day.   There are times when want a good wet snow. When we receive wet snow and then cold weather follows, our ribbon becomes like cement. The temperatures usually drop in the evening and the lower amount of sled traffic gives the ribbon time to set up. If you are sledding at night, remember don't tear up the ribbon because you are ruining it for everyone the next day.

Now, what to do when you meet a groomer. There are three things you must do. First, get out of the way! The tractor and drag cannot get off the trail easily.  A snowmobile can get off the trail much easier and remember a stuck sled is easier to get out than a stuck grooming tractor!  Second, use the proper hand signals to let the groomer know how many sleds are behind you. It is nice to know if someone else is coming, especially if we are approaching a corner.  Third, give the drivers a big thumbs up and let them know that you  appreciate them volunteering hours of their time to help groom the trails.  If you come up behind a groomer, wait until he sees you in his rear view mirrors.  As soon as we can find a place to get off to the side, we will pull over, stop, and let you pass.  A little patience on your part could avoid a nasty accident. Remember we are much bigger than you are!

Lastly, another great way to keep the snowmobile trails smooth is to join a local club like ACSC (click here for an application) and the Michigan Snowmobile Association.  Without snowmobile clubs providing volunteer labor and raising money to help buy grooming equipment, your trail permit fees would need to be at least 10 or 15 times higher than they are today.  Join our club or any club for that matter, and participate in some of the events they sponsor throughout the year.  Become a part of the 10 percent of snowmobilers who help with the trails.  As more people participate, the job of keeping our trails in great condition becomes easier for everyone concerned.

All of the groomer drivers are strictly volunteers. We do not receive pay for our time. We do it for the love of the sport and to provide our area with nice and smooth trails.  Thanks for taking the time to read this long article. Your thumbs up and support of our clubs is what keeps our volunteers going during those long lonely hours on the trail.  By the way, have a great ride!

*The Jordan Valley Trails Council consist of members from the following snowmobile clubs:

Antrim County, Charlevoix and East Jordan