If you aren’t grooming your trails regularly with snow groomers that are easy to use, safe, and designed to stand up to the trail conditions then you really are missing out. Groomed trails, over the season, are much nicer, much safer, and provide a better surface for those that like to travel fast and those that are more inclined to just have a leisurely ride.
Start with the First Big Snow
The key in working with snow groomers to get a great trail all year round is to start early in the season. Too many people that maintain their own trails on private or public property, and even some professional guides and snowmobile groups, make the mistake of not grooming early in the season.
The result of this is that there is no firm base, or packed base, built up as the snow accumulates. While use of the trail will provide some packing, it can also cause banks, areas of rough snow and dips and dives along the trail. By running snow groomers every time it snows 4 to 6 inches you can’t go wrong.
Keep your Speed Down
Another key component to getting the perfect trail with snow groomers, especially in an organization or club where multiple members may be volunteering or be assigned to the task, is to make sure the operators are keeping to the recommended speed.
You may be surprised to find that there are many personal types of snow groomers that will work on a standard two passenger, 450 cc snowmobile and you can complete any grooming, even in hilly terrain or with a good dump of snow, at up to 20 miles per hour.
Going faster that the recommended speed with snow groomers is going to lead to bouncing or lifting as you hit dense snow, drifts or piles. This will lead to a trail that is not just rough but also packed and rough, which means that is how it will stay for the rest of the season.
Adjust as Needed
While not all snow groomers allow you to adjust the groomer to the snow conditions on the move, this is an important consideration. Areas that are always in the shade, such as trails in the bush, are typically going to have different snow conditions that those on flat, level surface with no tree cover and lots of direct sunshine.
Being able to adjust snow groomers on the fly for the different snow conditions ensures that your trails will be optimally groomed and maintained all year and that transitions from one area of the trail to the other will be minimized.
To learn more about how effective snow groomers can be in maintaining your trails visit us. Click here to contact us online.
