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

Tips for Effective Grooming With a Drag

Remove Air from Hydraulics and Compensate for Leaks:
After hooking the drag to the tractor, activate the hydraulic controls in the cab of the tractor to raise and lower the drag a few times to remove any air that may have entered the hydraulic hoses and cylinders. Inspect all connections for leaks.

If there is even a slight leak, promptly fix it to prevent spilling hydraulic fluid into the snowpack and potentially harming the environment. Until the leak is fixed, remember that the loss of pressure can cause components to settle, which may require compensation by continually adjusting (raising) the drag component controlled by the leaking hydraulic.

Check for Clearance and Binding When Turning
Carefully inspect the hydraulic hoses for binding and interference as the tractor unit is turned. Check for clearance between the outside of the tracks and the outside front of the drag when the tractor unit is fully turned.

Pay Attention!
Operating trail grooming equipment is a demanding job that requires the operator’s undivided attention at all times. While it is important to be watching the trail ahead to observe changing conditions, it is almost more important to watch what the grooming drag behind is doing. Don’t simply drop the drag and forget it. Instead, it requires that the operator constantly respond and adjust to ever-changing trail and snow conditions.

Keep the Mirrors Clean and Use Them:
Keep the rearview mirrors on the tractor clean in able to constantly monitor how the snow is processing in the drag blades, as well as the finished surface behind the groomer.

Get Out and Check the Trail:
Get out of the tractor to occasionally to walk across the groomed surface. Check trail consistency by scuffing across the finished product with a boot. If the operator sinks, recheck groomer settings to ensure good processing and compression of the snow.

Remove the Entire Mogul:
Moguls and drifts should be completely cut away from the trail’s snow base. If only partial cutting occurs, the resulting uneven density can allow moguls to reform quickly. Typically, the greatest cutting depth is needed on curves and in other areas with deep moguls.

Watch the Speed:
The effective grooming speed when using a drag is typically in the 5 to 7 miles per hour (8 to 11 kilometers per hour) range and is primarily governed by the way the snow is being processed by the drag. Too slow, and a rolling action in front of the blade will not be adequately established.

Too fast, and the drag will bounce leaving a poorly groomed trail. It will also spray snow outside of the drag, wasting it. Excess speed can prevent the blades from properly cutting off the mogul and also not give snow the time it needs to fall out into a dip or hole. Slow down and take the time necessary to get a good finished product that will stand up better to traffic.

Grooming too fast is a much more detrimental factor than most operators realize and can be a huge waste of grooming resources.

     
Photo 4.1 Keep processed snow inside the drag!

Slow Down When Using Wheels Kits:
Use the wheel kit on the drag to cross sections of trail where bare ground is showing. Be sure to travel at a slow rate of speed since the drag frame can do a lot of twisting if on rough ground. Traveling too fast with the wheels down can cause stress fractures in the hitch assembly and frame or twist the drag frame so that it will no longer be square.

Groom at Night or When Traffic Is Low:
Always try to groom when traffic volumes are at their lowest, which is typically at night. This helps allow adequate time for the trail to set up properly and can also enhance grooming and snowmobiling safety. On heavily traveled trails, this could be a window of time as narrow as 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM on weekends.

Grooming at night will generally produce the best quality trail since temperatures are typically colder which can help the snow flow better and set up harder. However, the greatest single key to effective grooming is low traffic. So if traffic is heavy, consider an alternate time to groom.

Early Season Cautions:
If the grooming program has more than one drag, use an old drag for early season trail set up to avoid damage to the better equipment. Go slower than usual because of the possibility of hitting hidden hazards. Sometimes it is better to “ride the pan” or use a compactor bar in these conditions rather than try to cut much with drag blades.

Pull Snow to the Middle of Trail:
If there is a lack of snow in the middle of the trail, which is often the case since that is where snowmobiles most often operate, use the front blade to pull snow in from the trail’s outer edge or operate the drag on the outer edge of the trail.

The outside two to three feet (0.6 to 0.9 meter) of a trail will often be softer than the middle of the trail due to the compaction that snowmobile traffic contributes in the middle of the trail.

Remove Debris from the Trail:
Stop to remove significant rocks, logs, limbs, or other debris that is laying on or in the trail surface. Debris can not only be a hazard, but can also attract heat which can have a thawing effect on the surrounding snow trail surface.

   
Photo 4.2 Remove debris from trail.

Watch the Temperature:
The best temperature for grooming with a drag is generally in the +5 to +25 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 to -4 degrees Celsius) range.

Generally, wet snow grooms best at night and dry snow best during the day, if the traffic level is low. Oftentimes, early evening has the best temperatures for effective grooming.

Use Wax or Silicone Spray to Help Blades Scour
In warm weather, consider using snowplow wax or silicon spray on the drag blades to temporarily prevent the snow from sticking to the blade. Air that is significantly colder than the snow can also cause frost to form on the blades and prevent them from scouring (self-cleaning).

This is a greater problem with single blade drags since the blade must scour for the drag to work. Multi-blade drags also have a greater tendency to self-scour. If this is a continual problem in the area, consider covering the moldboard portion of the blades with UHMW or a similar plastic covering which will prevent snow sticking to the blades.

If it is either so warm or so cold that snow continually sticks to the blades and they will not scour, grooming operations should be suspended.

Don’t Dump Snow on Road Crossings or Driveways:
Use care to avoid dragging or dumping snow on roads or driveways when crossing them with grooming equipment. Frozen piles of snow deposited on roads can be hazardous to motorists and cause ill will toward snowmobiling. Likewise, piles of snow deposited in driveways can strain relationships with adjacent landowners by making access to their property difficult.

      
Photo 4.3 Never leave piles of snow on roads

Always cross roads and driveways with care and use caution for oncoming vehicles. Wheels on a drag should always be DOWN when crossing roadways. If a pile of snow is left on the road, it may require the operator to stop and clear the road or driveway with a shovel, but they should be cautious of oncoming traffic.

    
Photo 4.4 Always raise the drag to cross roads

Don’t Dump Snow on Railroad Crossings or Railroad Tracks:
Use care to avoid dragging or dumping snow on railroad crossings or on railroad tracks when crossing them with grooming equipment. Frozen piles of snow/ice on the tracks can derail a train and result in significant property damage. It may require the operator to stop and clear the tracks with a shovel.

Always cross railroad tracks with care and use caution for approaching trains since the groomer is likely very slow Photo 4.5 Use care to not create snow/ice buildup moving in respect to high speed trains. on railroad tracks.

    

Don’t Set the Drag Blades Too Low on Smooth Trails:
When grooming a trail with little fresh snow cover and only minimal moguling, care should be taken to not have the drag adjusted too low because it would unnecessarily process the hard-packed trail base. Cut only as deep as the bottom of the “dip” of the moguls. If the trail is relatively smooth, only cut or “skim” with the rear set of blades. Following this method can help build/increase the depth of the hard-packed trail base.
Photo 4.6 Use only the rear set of blades to groom minimally moguled trails.

  

Deep New Snowfall Can Mean Starting Over:
Moguls under a deep new snowfall cannot usually be completely removed. Process the fresh snow and compact it so a smooth finish is established as a new base on top of the moguls. Two passes may be required to achieve sufficient processing and compression when there is extremely deep new snowfall. A longer set up time will be required.

Grooming Wet Snow:
Processing wet, heavy snow is more difficult and requires more operator finesse since it has more surface tension and will not flow as well as cold, dry snow. To groom in wet conditions, adjust the drag somewhat higher than if in below freezing conditions and pick up the speed of the tractor slightly. Monitor the snow to ensure it flows freely. If the snow begins to collect in the drag, raise it high enough to clear the snow and lower it again, but make sure not to deposit a hazardous pile of snow

   
Photo 4.7 Don’t leave a hazardous pile of snow in
on the trail when doing so. the trail when adjusting a drag

Continually Monitor the Drag Blades:
Particularly when grooming trails that are relatively smooth and only lightly moguled, operators must continually adjust the drag’s cutting height. This need is different for multi-blade versus single blade drags:
Multi-Blade Drags: The weight of the drag causes natural settling which forces the cutting blades deeper as the frame and side rails settle. This requires that the operator must pay attention to monitor the height and readjust the drag upward as needed.

Single Blade Drags: The blade must exert constant down pressure on the snow surface. When the trail is relatively smooth, this can result in the lone cutting blade being forced upward. As a result, the operator must monitor the setting and readjust the blade downward as needed. Additionally, when using a single blade drag the operator must understand that the typically concave shape, ( , of the blade lends itself to drafting and being sucked downward, particularly when encountering a soft pocket of snow in the trail base. Beware that this can cause springs to trip and create humps in the trail.

Adjusting Blade Height:
The procedure for making adjustments to the blade height varies slightly between a multi and single blade drag:

Single Blade Drag:
Set the drag blade to cut or dig enough to keep the area in front of the pan full of snow, but not so much that snow is spilling out the sides of the drag and being wasted. The snow in front of the blade should be kept rolling or moving constantly.

The blade depth will typically vary from ¼ inch (0.6 cm) to a maximum of about 2 inches (5 cm). A quick, short bump of the hydraulic control lever is all that is needed to raise or lower the blade ¼ inch (0.6 cm) to ½ inch (1.3 cm), which will often be sufficient. Raising the blade too much, too quickly, can leave a bump in the trail.

Also remember that the single blade drag’s packer pan will ride up and over whatever goes under the rear blade. So be cautious to not inadvertently create humps in the trail by raising the blade too quickly.
Multi-Blade Drag: It takes even less than a “quick, short bump” to adjust the cutting height of a multi-blade drag.

Essentially all that is needed is to barely crack the hydraulic spool open, to when it just barely “squeals,” to likely have all the adjustment that will be needed. Since the cutting depth of the blades are preset and stepped down from the front to rear of the drag, it requires lowering or raising the side rails only a fraction of an inch/centimeter to substantially change the cutting depth of the drag.

Additionally, since the side rails keep snow contained within the drag versus allowing it to spill out the sides, it is good to keep a significant supply of snow in front of the rear spreader pan because it helps to continually build/increase trail base and will not create “humps” like a single blade will.

Spilling Snow Equals Carrying Too Much:
Particularly with single blade drags, when the snow that has been built up in front of the drag blade isn’t rolling or churning or is spilling out the sides, the drag is carrying too much snow and is not working effectively. In most cases, a very slight tap of the control lever is all it takes to make a significant change in the amount of trail base the drag is cutting and will correct this situation.

Grooming Hills:
Hills can create another special challenge for groomer operators. There is likely to be a lack of snow at the crest/top of the hill and an abundance of snow at the bottom. Oftentimes, the hillside may be either icy, or even bare, from snowmobiles spinning their tracks while climbing it. It may also be bare due to southern exposure to the sun. As much as anywhere, hills are an area where the operator must anticipate and plan ahead. Also, always keep to the right so the groomer is not a hazard.

 
Photo 4.8 The crest of a hill often needs snow

The drag may need to be raised as the groomer begins climbing a hill. In Photo 4.11, the tracks of the tractor have spun and dug trenches, which the drag can fall into unless it is wider than the tractor. Note that the side rails of the drag have nearly disappeared below the surface of the trail, which can result in the tractor quickly becoming stuck while trying to pull the drag uphill. Anticipate this ahead of time and adjust the drag’s cutting height upward to lighten the

  
Photo 4.9 Beware of trenches dug by spinning tracks
load.

Grooming Curves:
Curves can create special challenges since there is typically low snow or no snow in the bottom of a sharp curve. At the same time, berms three to five feet (0.9 to1.5 meters) high (or more) can form on the outside edge if the curve is not regularly groomed and reformed. First, always beware that dropping too far down into the center of a sharp or blind curve can be dangerous for approaching snowmobile traffic.

Therefore, never deviate over/inside the mythical centerline of the trail by more than a couple of feet so as to still allow room for an oncoming snowmobile to meet and pass the groomer in the curve. Second, if the groomer gets too high on the outside edge of the berm, it risks becoming high centered and stuck.

Use the front blade on the tractor to pull snow from the outside berm into the bottom of the curve. At the same time understand that it is difficult to “carry” much snow into the curve with a multi-blade drag because of its tendency to build trail depth versus “carrying and dumping” snow like what can be done with a single blade drag.

One other thing to keep in mind about grooming curves is that available at the inside/bottomthere is only one location in a curve where there is ever “extra” snow that may be available for the drag to move into the snow-deprived bottom of the curve.

 
Photo 4.10 Sharp curves typically have little snow

That location is the outside end of the curve and, sometimes, some of it can be tapped on the next reverse direction grooming pass. This is further explained as follows: Imagine the curve as an upside down U, like this: n. The direction of travel and grooming is counterclockwise, on the outside/top edge of the curve, which means any “extra” snow will be deposited on this grooming pass by the drag at the end of the upper left corner of the n, where it transitions from curve to straightway.

If the grooming direction is reversed on the next shift (by grooming clockwise on the trail loop), the groomer will be on the inside/bottom of the curve as it enters the curve. By moving over to the left a couple of feet/half a meter (but no more so as to not create a safety hazard!) as the groomer approaches the curve, the drag can be swung slightly into the area with the extra snow, which is slightly before the outside left corner of the n.

Then, by dropping back into the bottom of the curve, the groomer can deposit any snow that was picked up with the drag into the bottom of the curve. This is a slow process, but by keeping at it, trail conditions on curves can be slowly improved.

Making a Double Pass:
If there is a safe, firm place to turn around, it can be desirable to groom a “double pass” on a particularly rough, moguled area.

Since this means the trail section will essentially receive three grooming repetitions during the double pass, use the following procedure to make this effort as efficient and effective as possible: On pass number one (the normal route/repetition through the section), go a little faster than normal, drop into the bottom of curves, and don’t spend extra time grooming.

On pass number two (the return route after the turnaround), again make it quick without a lot of extra grooming effort. On pass number three (the return/second repetition on the original rough section), really slow down, work the trail carefully, and vary the position of the groomer as needed to take advantage of windrows/berms of snow that were created by passes number one and two.



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