GUIDELINES FOR SNOWMOBILE TRAIL
           GROOMER OPERATOR TRAINING


A Resource Guide for Trail Grooming Managers and Equipment Operators:


Glossary:
      .
Compactor Bar (Packer Bar): A rear mounted bar with a plastic comb used to compress deep new snowfall (over 18 in. / 46 cm) prior to grooming the trail with a drag or for early season trail set-up.

Dead-Head Miles: Return trip over the same trail because of a dead end trail.

Front Blade: A front mounted blade used to doze snow drifts, to help pull new snow in from the sides of the trail, and to provide rear grooming implements a properly prepared surface to process the snow.

Groom: To get into a state of readiness for a specific objective; to take care of the appearance of; to make neat and tidy = trail maintenance; the mechanical alteration of the snow to provide a safe, smooth surface for travel.

Groomed Miles: Total miles put on the groomer during the process of grooming the entire trail system.
Groomer: A grooming tractor equipped with grooming implements (drag, tiller, or compactor bar).

Groomer Operator: An employee or volunteer that is in physical control of and operates the grooming tractor.
Grooming Drag: An implement pulled behind the grooming tractor which (Drag) does the actual grooming of the snow on the trail bed. Also called a planer or surfacer by some manufacturers.

Grooming Manager: A local official or club member charged with coordinating grooming activities, including establishing schedules and priorities. Some areas call this person the Trail Master or the Grooming Coordinator.

Grooming Speed: The speed the groomer travels over the trail while performing the grooming operation (typically recommended to be 5 to 7 mph / 8 to 11 kph).

Grooming Tractor: A heavy-duty, two or four-tracked vehicle for which the (Tractor) primary purpose is to provide the pulling power for grooming implements. Also called a Prime Mover.

Hours of Operation: The time that the grooming tractor actually spends grooming the trails, not necessarily as recorded by the hour meter.

IASA: The International Association of Snowmobile
Administrators, which consists of state, provincial, territorial and federal government officials with responsibility for administering snowmobile trail, safety, and/or enforcement programs.

Miles of Trail: One-way miles of trail in the system, including loops and dead-ends.

Moguls: A pattern of mounds, dips, and ruts in a trail.
Operation Log: Used to record the date, the hours of operation, miles of trail groomed as recorded by the vehicle odometer, time in and out, parts of the trail system groomed, and general comments regarding repairs and maintenance records.

Scarifier: A blade used to scar icy surfaces to rough them up, usually mounted in the front row of multi-blade drags or on the bottom of the front tractor blade.
Snowmobile Trail: A compacted snow road for use by snowmobiles and other authorized over-snow vehicles.
Tiller: A hydraulically driven, rear mounted implement similar to a roto-tiller that mechanically processes and mixes snow.

Trail Bed: The compacted snow surface or trail.
Trail Grooming: The activity of producing a smooth, uniformly compacted snow surface with a uniform high density through the use of mechanical equipment.

Track Packing: Using the tracks of the grooming tractor to pack the snow without the use of any grooming implements.

 

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