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| February 1st | | Cold Brook to Kippens via Kippens Trail & S'Ville dump road |
| January 31st | | Cold Brook to gallants via 38, and gallants to Black Duck via Railbed |
| January 30th | | Cold Brook Rd to Map |
| January 27th | | Gallants via 38 to Cold Brook, Cold Brook Rd to Map |
| January 26th | | Cold Brook via 38 to Gallants |
| January 24th | | Cold Brook to S’Ville Dump Road Groomed via Kippens Trail. Not enough snow to groom to Town of Kippens. |
| January 23rd | | Cold Brook Road to shiver shack on logger's school road groomed |
| January 20th | | Cold Brook to Gallants via 38 Trail groomed, Gallants to Black Duck via T'Railway Groomed |
| January 19th | | Cold Brook Road groomed to alder pond shelter.
NOTE** More signage required to groom trail across to logger's school road for safety reasons. |
| January 19th | | Groomer has tracked in 38 trail as of early morning |
| January 18th | | Groomer arrived in Cold Brook |
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The most important requirement for effective grooming is correct temperature. The ideal grooming temperature is between -5ºC and -20ºC. As snow is collected in the drag, it has to be able to flow, like flour. As we all know, once the temperature gets close to 0ºC snow begins to stick together. Instead of flowing out under the rear pan, the snow builds up in the drag until it spills out over the top in large chunks or balls. These large chunks are dangerous when they freeze in the middle of the trail.
As the temperature drops below -20ºC, steel starts to get brittle and equipment is more susceptible to breakage if it strikes a solid object such as a stump or rock. Cold temperatures must also be considered for operator safety in case of equipment problems. Although he/she is equipped with communications equipment and warm clothes, waiting for a snowmobile ride 40kms in the country at 3am can be a very uneasy feeling.
Question: We had a fresh 15cm snowfall last night. How come the groomer is not out?
In order to groom effectively and make the trail more durable, the idea is to cut the mogul off completely, not just fill in the void. Moguls have a memory. If you just fill in the void with new snow, by the time half a dozen snowmobiles run over it, the new snow settles and the mogul is back
again. When you groom fresh snow, the drag can't be lowered deep enough to cut off the mogul because snow collects faster than it can flow out under the rear pan. Again, the drag fills up and spills snow out over the sides. After a fresh snow fall it's better to let the snowmobiles run it in and knock the air out of it. Then when the drag processes this finer snow, it packs much tighter.
Most grooming is done at night because it's safer and more effective. Safer, because there are usually not as many snowmobiles on the trails, and when there is, the bright lights of the groomer are visible long before the machine itself. Grooming at night is more effective because it's usually colder and the snow sets faster. Also the longer the trail sets before too many snowmobiles ride over it, the better. Set up takes anywhere from two to six hours, depending on temperature and moisture content. So if you come up behind a groomer and the operator beckons you to go around, that's the main reason, to allow him to groom without snowmobiles on the trail enabling effective trail set-up.
Grooming is not scheduled during heavy snowfalls or storms. Operator and snowmobiler safety are of principle concern, but it is also not productive to operate in these conditions.
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