I wish that I had a chance to know these snow grooming tips when I was first getting started into the snow grooming world like to talk to a professional snow groomer operator who had done it for many years. Learning from a professional or experienced snow groomer operator who had made all the mistakes. This would have saved me a ton of pain and shortened my learning curve when I first started grooming snow.
Pro Snow Grooming Tips:
- Groom as often as possible
- Groom after every snowstorm
- Groom when snow Is cold enough
- Keep your equipment in good working order
- Carry lifesaving winter gear
- Carry a radio and always let someone know
- YOU CANNOT GROOM ICE
In this frame of mind, I want to share things we have learned about snow grooming.
Groom your snow as often as possible
Snow Whoops or bumps are the worst. They are not fun for snowmobiling, sledding, skiing, or snowboarding. Now, most of you would say of course snow whoops are terrible. Well, I just did not worry about it at one time in my life and just played in the snow. I did not think to get rid of them. Or help them form slower. So the best advice is to groom your snow as often as possible. If you can get out after a snow storm and groom the snow before the snowmobilers hit. The whoops will form slower.
Sometimes you cannot stop the whoops from forming. In this case, the best thing is to keep them small and hit them with your groomer often and knock them down. Having the right kind of snow groomer that can cut the tops of whoops down and place that snow in the bottoms of the whoops. Use the razor on your groomer and get rid of them as much as you can.
This also helps keep your snow from turning into ice. This is a MAJOR reason why the ski resorts will groom their snow every single night.
Make sure your Snow Grooming equipment is in Good Shape
The next bit of experience is to take care of your equipment. This seems simple but I just get so anxious to go play that sometimes I would not make sure my snowmobile belt was in good shape. I few times I would not have a spare belt on the snowmobile and then it would cost me time when it broke from the good play or grooming time I had. I did not check the oil in my four-wheeler and it cost me my engine and I was a long long way from an oiled road. Not checking the oil cost me a bunch of money but it also cost me a day of my time getting to where I could fix it. Simply check the simple things and take 2 minutes to make sure things are in good shape.
Clear your trails in the summertime
A little prep in the summer on your trails can make for a way better winter. The how’s and why’s to this are so big that I will try and have a story for all of this. But it seems so simple after all these years. This is actually one I did but others might forget it.
Have a toolkit with the things you know you need. Having this will flat out save you a ton of time.
Saw, flashlight, Have a spare belt for your snowmobile or side by side. Spare shear pin.
Right tools for snow grooming
Get the right tools. Cannot say how many times I should have gotten a real groomer when I was a kid. The problem is I did not even know they existed. The truck hoods, chain link fences, and pallets all were a mess in so many ways. They broke our towing equipment. Destroyed the snow. Flat out they were mostly a waste of time. A few times flying chains or parts of pallets should have really hurt us.
Be patient with the kids or others who fly by you when grooming. They just do not know. It is might scary when a snowmobiler fly’s by you and nips your groomer. They do not think you are pulling something. Maybe ask that snowmobiler to help you, groom. When you ask people they will help make our trails better for everyone.
Hope you enjoyed these Snow Grooming Tips.
Enjoy your time in the snow. It always is gone way too fast. Others enjoying your groomed snow can be a source of enjoyment. Remember that others using it can mess up your corduroy. But hey, if they are using it that is what it is for.