For anyone new to cross-country (XC) skiing, this basic guide to grooming will help you get familiar with the terms and enjoy the trails.
Our Grooming Machines
MMNSC has two grooming devices: the Ginzu and the Bombardier.
The Bomber is our heavy-duty, deluxe grooming machine—just like the ones used at downhill ski areas. It creates two perfect classic tracks and a beautiful corduroy skate lane, spanning a total of 17 feet wide. Because it renovates the snow as it goes, it needs a fair bit of coverage; if there isn’t enough snow, it can dig up dirt and rocks. Once a solid base is established, though, it works beautifully
The Ginzu is a grooming implement towed behind a snowmobile. It lays down about eight feet of corduroy and can set one classic track at a time—two passes are needed for double tracks. Because it’s lighter than the larger grooming machines, it doesn’t perform as well in deep snow and can’t pack it as firmly.
Where the Ginzu really shines is in low-snow or early-season conditions, and for refreshing the skate lane between snowfalls. The Ginzu Master does an excellent job of creating a smooth skate surface even in marginal conditions. Setting track in shallow snow can be more challenging, as it’s difficult to align perfectly with previous tracks. When snowfall is infrequent, the Ginzu is often used to tidy up the most frequently used trails and keep them ski-read
So does it matter to you, the happy skier? Maybe not. But for some of us—let’s be honest—it’s a bit of an obsession.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When do the guys groom?
A. We are super lucky as our groomers are not scheduled, but rather react to weather
conditions.
- If it is snowing, they won’t groom. Nothing is
worse than sitting in the groomer for 4 or 5 hours and returning to the shed to
see the snow start up again ready to bury all your hard work. Sometimes, if
there is a big storm in the forecast, they will go out to get some packing
done. - If it is too cold, no grooming. The precious Bomber
is an elder machine and they try to treat it gently. - If it is too warm, the snow just balls up and makes
a lumpy, bumpy track and skate lane, in other words, grooming wet or warm is
impossible.
You can see why we look for Goldilocks conditions! Not too hot. Not too cold.
Q. What about the parking lot?
A. If we have just had a large snowfall, the parking lot may not be plowed. We are on the
list to be plowed and have to wait our turn. We used to use the Bomber and it
was a waste of groomer time and hard on the machine.
Q. Can I ski while they are grooming?
A. Yes.
Chances are you won’t even see the groomer. But it is best to stay off the
fresh corduroy of the skate lane for a couple of hours at least. We don’t
suggest following the groomer during the grooming process as you will find you
ski faster than the groomer.
Q. What if I meet the groomer?
A. If you hear the groomer coming, you have 2 choices.
- Turn around and ski at your
normal speed, you will still be ahead of the groomer. Turn off at the first
junction and hope that you made the right guess to avoid the route the groomer
is taking. He is not going to change his grooming plan, so may follow you. - Step off the set track. Way off. Into the soft snow. Your boots will fill up. The groomer will not stop.
(See bumps below)
Q. How can the skiers help keep the trails in good condition?
- The set tracks are ready to ski on right away – as
in classic technique. If you are skiing classic, stay in the track. Do not go
down the middle of the skate lane except on hills to snowplow down (/\) or
herringbone up (\/). - The skate lane is often soft for a few hours. If
you are digging in to a punky skate lane, choose another trail or change to
classic. - If you ski with a big dog, give the trails a few
hours to set up if you can. Everyone expects divots on the dog trails, that is
why we have dog trails, but a large dog can really tear up a newly set track. - If you have to walk down a hill to be safe, walk on
the outside of the classic track if possible. If that is too soft, stay to the
side of skate lane. - People out for a walk can use the snowshoe trail.
The groomed tracks are not for walkers.
Q. How long does it take to groom?
A. During a 4-5 hour grooming session the guys hope to get in the range of 10-12kms done.
Roughly 3kms per hour. (The machine can go a bit faster, but track quality will
suffer.) And, if there are trees down or tricky snow conditions, this can
change to more like 2 kms per hour. At this rate it would take 10-15 hours, or
3 sessions of grooming time to fully groom the trail network.
Q. How long until you re-groom if it doesn’t snow?
A. It all depends on weather and wear. If the trails are hard packed they can last a week
or longer. If the trails start soft and get divots from skaters or dogs, they
have to be re-groomed sooner. This means the guys don’t get out to the outer
areas as often.
Q. What about rain?
A. The groomers avoid rain or really wet snow. Rain on fresh grooming will freeze to
form an icy surface that no one is happy with. Rain on ungroomed snow will
freeze and often dries out and is very groomable. If there is a rain event in
the forecast, the plan usually is to leave a “snow-bank” of ungroomed trails to
work on after the rain.
Q. What days do you groom what trails?
A. Some clubs do operate this way, but we do not. We groom what makes sense that day, and
also try to keep the most used trails tuned up. The Dogs and Mainline to
Sawdust are the most frequently groomed with Possum Playground coming in third.
See our trail report page for further details. https://www.moricemountainnordic.ca/winter-ski-area/trail-report/
Q. When will you groom Trespass? Around the Lake – ski route?
A. Trespass and Around the Lake are both great trails with steeper hills. Because of this,
they need more snow than other places. They both have brushy spots and are
prone to blowdown. All of which means it takes more grooming time and is also
harder on the machine. When we get enough snow the guys will pack these trails
and then after that they will put them in to the grooming cycle. It is usually
January before the hilly trails are good. Gives you time to get in shape!
Q. Can I ski an ungroomed trail?
A. Of course. 3-5 cm of bunny fluff on top of old grooming makes for a very pleasant
adventure. We have Trekkers and Fluff Bunnies who love these conditions on the
hilly trails. Be aware that a not-groomed-this-season snowpack that has not
settled can be dangerous in terms of “bottoming out” as in hitting rocks under
the snow. There may be blowdown. Use caution on hills especially.
Grooming Problems
If you are out and notice the track is not great, blame the snow, not the grooming device
or groomer guy.
Here is why.
| Snow Condition | Trail Outcome |
| Low snow | rock, dirt, twigs especially on hills |
| Too much snow |
soft or punchy track and soft skate lane (After a snowfall the skate lane will likely be soft, even with the big machine. This means if you are flying down the track and step into the skate lane to snowplow your skis may sink in and become hard to control.) Classic skiing may be the best option after a heavy snowfall, but watch the hills if you are out of track. In most cases, after a few hours the skate lane will harden, although this all depends on weather conditions, snow humidity and depth of snowfall. |
| Icy old snow |
chunky hunks visible in the grooming, hard to get a really smooth track |
| Too warm or wet snow |
balls up behind the machine and leaves a ridge down the corduroy and forms a nasty layer of solid ice. |
| Bumps or snow berms in the track |
every time the groomer has to stop and restart, it leaves a bit of a bump or berm. When there is a tree across the trail the operator has to stop the machine, cut the tree, get rid of the debris and then restart grooming. |
- Some of our junctions also create tricky bumps.
Sometimes these are very noticeable and last for a few days until the next
grooming. Two junctions to watch for are where you come off The Hump heading to
Sawdust Loop on Mainline, and at the bottom of the Moose Meadows hill. Some
corners are not banked well for skiers. The trail planners don’t always think
of how the grooming works. The groomers know about these spots and they do their
best to keep them safe, but there is only so much they can do. - Bottom line: always ski under control.
And thank the
Groomer Guys!
