GUIDELINES FOR SNOWMOBILE TRAIL
           GROOMER OPERATOR TRAINING


A Resource Guide for Trail Grooming Managers and Equipment Operators:


Chapter 4 - Operating Grooming Equipment
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Grooming Basics

Building Trail Base vs. Maintaining Trail Base:
Anytime there is “new” snow to work with, either through new snowfall, blown in snow, or snow that is pulled in from the trail edges, grooming will build (increase) the trail’s base/depth. If “new” snow is not available, grooming will simply maintain the trail base, which is a much less desirable situation. Remember that a drag’s blades must always have snow in them to accomplish either trail building or maintenance.

Ideal Groomed Trail Width:
In most areas, the ideal groomed trail width will be 1½ to 2 groomer widths (typically 12 to 18 feet or 3.7 to 5.5 meters). However, local conditions and equipment widths will dictate what this means on any given trail segment. The clearing width in some wooded areas may only accommodate a single drag width, while other trails located on improved roadways may provide as much as 60 feet (18 meters) of width.

However in these situations on wide roads, do not try to groom too wide. Pick a route and stick to it to ensure that the trail base is built from the ground up. If varied routes are groomed on wide roadways, it can result in soft pockets of snow and rough trails because the same designated trail route was not consistently compacted.

By keeping the groomed route on these wide roads narrower, the middle of the road/trail can be hardened and result in a better quality trail.

Stay to the Right:
Always groom on the right side of the trail with the direction of snowmobile traffic. Take the right side of the trail and stay there. Then reverse the grooming direction the next time in order to widen the trail, rather than grooming against snowmobile traffic on the wrong/left side of the trail. Never groom against traffic on a one-way trail.

               
Photo 4.1 Always groom on the right side of the trail

Constantly Watch Behind:
Constantly watch in the rearview mirrors to monitor the finished product on the trail behind the groomer. When using a drag, this is particularly important since the drag blades can quickly empty out and go from totally full to totally empty within a few seconds or over less than 15 feet (4.5 meters) of trail. This can mean spending as much as 75% of the time monitoring more closely what is happening behind the tractor versus in front of it. Leave the tractor periodically and walk back to check the finished trail surface behind the groomer, especially at night.

                          
Photo 4.2 Use the rearview mirrors to constantly watch behind the groomer to monitor the quality of the finished trail

Know the Trail and Anticipate:
Operators must know their trail to be able to anticipate the need to carry extra snow, either with the front tractor blade or in the drag, as they approach areas that are bare or may be in need of additional snow to establish a good trail base.

Such areas can include creek crossings, bare hill sides, windswept or sunny areas, areas of rough or rocky terrain, the crown of hills or approaches, the bottom of curves, etc. If the operator doesn’t anticipate and plan ahead, it will be too late to improve the trail defect once they’re at it.

So when going through a dip, swale, or ditch that the drag spans or bridges, anticipate the need to lower the drag blades before getting there to gather snow. Conversely, when approaching a particularly drifted or
deep snow area, a steep hillside, a switchback, or a road crossing, anticipate the need to make upward adjustments to the blade depths (front and/or drag) in advance of the location to avoid getting in trouble by spinning out or getting stuck.

Pay Attention on Curves:
Pay special attention to curve berms and try to work down the high outside edges. Be careful not to completely straddle these berms or the tractor may get high centered. A drag will not usually stay on the side of a sharp curve’s snow berm.

So the grooming drag must be either at the top or down in the bottom of the curve. It is often best to pull snow into the bottom of the curve with the front tractor blade and then work the new snow in the bottom of the curve with the drag or tiller.

Take the Time to Do It Right:
Take the time necessary to get a smooth trail by regulating the speed of the tractor and cutting depth of the implement according to trail conditions and grooming needs. If there is a particularly rough area and a place to turn around, groom the trail a second time.

Remove Back Up Piles
Whenever it is necessary to back up on the trail, be sure to remove the pile of snow or tire ruts that backing up can often create since these piles can become extreme safety hazards for snowmobilers, particularly once they freeze. This requires either re-grooming that section of trail or removing the snow pile with a shovel.

          

Think Visibility!
Grooming tractors should be operated with their warning beacon/strobe and lights on at all times to increase their Photo 4.3 Remove back up piles! Use SMV sign. visibility to snowmobilers approaching
on the trail. A slow moving vehicle (SMV) sign should be displayed at the rear of all units since a groomer is nearly stationary when compared to a fast moving snowmobile.

Beware of Dirty Snow:
Remember that dirty snow can deteriorate rapidly with any sunlight (solar radiation) which can affect the firmness and overall quality of the trail base. Try to pull snow from the sides of the trail to cover up dirt and to mix with the old snow on the trail. This can sometimes be done with the front blade. Oftentimes it can be accomplished by simply running the tracks of the tractor about four inches further to the right, onto the berm at the outside trail edge, which can cause “new” snow to fall onto the trail.

Don’t Leave Holes in the Trail:
Never leave holes caused by being stuck, drag malfunction, or operator error in the middle of the trail since holes can be a hazard and can cause injury to unsuspecting snowmobilers.

        
Photo 4.4 Don’t leave holes in the trail

Cover Ice:
Cover icy spots with snow if possible. Sometimes icy spots can be scored with a scarifier blade to aid in traction and steering and also to help try to process it into the snowpack.

Groom Bridges:
Groom bridges! All too often operators fail to groom across bridges. This can lead to extremely rough and unsafe trail conditions before, across, and after bridges. Start by simply “panning” across the bridge at the beginning of the season to prevent damaging the bridge’s deck. Use the groomer to bring snow onto the bridge if needed and eventually build the trail base to a depth that can be regularly groomed.



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                            Drag

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