A sledders delight; baby butt smooth!

[BC Sno-Ghost]

Nice Vid Fernie. Great post to get those informed who don't realize how much there really is to the science of grooming. I found out for myself when I started grooming last year. Amazing how much of a difference it makes laying down a smooth ribbon when you use the blade and get the snow rolling like that. Our club has the same Mogul Master and they work really well but shouldn't be relied on to do all the work. I've put in a quite few hours this year and have to say I really enjoyed it. Sorry to see the season winding down. Cheers to all the operators and volunteers out there who put in the time for the good of their clubs!!

 

[struglin]

That's quite the operation nice work

 

[ferniesnow]

That's quite the operation nice work

Thanks. After the banter back and forth from last week I thought it was time to get into the details. Dragging the mogul master (the drag as some call it) is great but the side rails will only ride the tops of the bumps and the blades only drop below the side rails a few inches resulting in incomplete cutting of the mogul. This is fine as the snow that is cut is deposited in the hole and levels out the trail. If set-up temps aren't cold enough the snow in the hole doesn't freeze and gets pounded out by the first sled. So the blade has to be used to cut the moguls more. An 8-way blade is great but this BR180 hasn't got the additional horse power (IMHO) to handle the added function in most of our snow conditions. Yes, there is a lot to the process and it is funny, after all these years, I am still learning little tricks.

Grooming 101: All snowmobilers can operate and groom better than you. That is the first thing you learn when becoming a groomer and if you pass that course, you can continue on into the great depths of snow science and trail grooming.

 

[adamg]

Just like everyone that drives a gravel road thinks they can run the grater better than the guy that can't seem to keep the washboards out for more than 24 hours.

 

[Trax 2 Treadz]

Thanks for the video FS!!! Thanks also for the countless hours you volunteer grooming!!!

 

[ferniesnow]

Thanks for the video FS!!! Thanks also for the countless hours you volunteer grooming!!!

Thanks Jan. I doo spend countless hours volunteering (Secretary for the club, map distributor, new cabin chairman, parking lot expansion chairman, and the Rolling Hills trail guy) but in the seat of the SnowCat I am paid. It is a great way to get some more hours out in the great outdoors.

 

[jhurkot]

I heard that the Fernie club doesn't even have tenure at coal creek... is that true?

 

[ferniesnow]

I heard that the Fernie club doesn't even have tenure at coal creek... is that true?

The disgruntled group reminds me of politicians; they don't know all the facts and tell other people what they think are facts. This conflict started over grooming; none of the group had even sat in a groomer before let alone operate one through a winter of varying conditions.

The newly formed club belongs to ABCSnow and I wish them luck with all the work they need to doo to get "a trail", a cabin, a groomer, etc.. So not only doo we have a conflict with two provincial organizations, we have a conflict locally due to stubbornness and arrogance.

On to the question. The Ministry may have told them we doo not have tenure on Coal Creek as we doo not have an agreement with the BC Ministry. The BC Ministry may not even know we have an agreement with Tembec. The land is private and our long standing agreement for Coal Creek/Paiges/Morrissey/McEvoy is with the land owner. The new trail through the Rolling Hills is on the Dominion Coal Block and we have an agreement with Natural Resources Canada for that piece of trail. I don't even know if the BC Ministry knows about that one. The FSA has tenure on the Hartley Lake trail with an agreement through the BC Ministry.

The disgruntled group sits in the parking lot and the cabin and they try to gain membership by telling anyone who listens their lies and half truths.

I hope this sheds some light on the misconceptions that are floating around out there.