Snow VP
02-04-2006, 09:09 PM
Special Weekend Edition!
I'm usually too busy to get on during the weekend, but here I am.
Talked to a few groomer drivers, and a few sleds out there today, and this pretty much sums it it: Rough and Tough !
Did every person on this board conspire to bring all of their friends up here today? I had no idea that the ice rink parking lot could come close to holding OVER 100 trailers, but it was packed in there today! Most motels in the area were full as of 7pm today, and there are sleds every were.
I'll explain, so lets drop back to Thursday. The SI groomer went out late Thursday afternoon, and completed its run around midnight. It did not sit long, and Fridays run was actually done before 7am! It has been just above freezing (34d-36d)for the last 4 days up here, and the trails are taking a beating. Heavy traffic took it toll on the trails, and by Friday afternoon we were getting reports that the RR Grade was thrashed. A couple of the guys did not like hearing that, so Groomer Keith, and Groomer Jim K. conspired together, and they scheduled extra grooms. The SI machine went out at 5pm on Friday and has only stopped for 3 hours since! They teamed up and have been switching in-out of that machine every 8 hours or so, and in fact that machine is heading to Trout Lake as I type, driven by the President, Jim DeKeyser! And as usual, groomer Dave is running his machine out of Brevort this evening.
Now to add to all this, in an impossible coincidence, both machines ripped their 3 point hitches off last night, in separate incidents. One was probably metal fatigue, an the other was a dispute with a tree stump. Groomer Dave hit the stump on his run, way on the North end. He was able to improvise a hook-up to the stiff hitch, and actually groom his way to St. Iggy for repairs, although with less control than normal. Can you believe this guy? He could have dropped drag, and ran the roads into town, but he grooms his way in, typical Dave. The other break thankfully happened right at the ice rink right after a driver swap, so repairs did not take long. Both machines were only down for a matter of hours.
I went out and fixed the iron bridge today, and also repaired the fuel pump station in Brevort. I ran into the president Jim D. on the way back, just North of Moran. These temps and heavy traffic are turning the center of the trails into mush. The groomers are leveling things out as fast as they can, but it does not take many sleds to destroy the trails with these conditions. I can tell you this, the groomer drivers were pissed that the trails got tore up on Friday, and I fully expect the machines to run almost non-stop for the rest of the weekend. Now mind you, we already have 4 extra grooms this weekend, and it is only Saturday. When it does finally get down to freezing, things whould be in great shape.
So, sorry things are bumpy folks, we are working on it!
I'm usually too busy to get on during the weekend, but here I am.
Talked to a few groomer drivers, and a few sleds out there today, and this pretty much sums it it: Rough and Tough !
Did every person on this board conspire to bring all of their friends up here today? I had no idea that the ice rink parking lot could come close to holding OVER 100 trailers, but it was packed in there today! Most motels in the area were full as of 7pm today, and there are sleds every were.
I'll explain, so lets drop back to Thursday. The SI groomer went out late Thursday afternoon, and completed its run around midnight. It did not sit long, and Fridays run was actually done before 7am! It has been just above freezing (34d-36d)for the last 4 days up here, and the trails are taking a beating. Heavy traffic took it toll on the trails, and by Friday afternoon we were getting reports that the RR Grade was thrashed. A couple of the guys did not like hearing that, so Groomer Keith, and Groomer Jim K. conspired together, and they scheduled extra grooms. The SI machine went out at 5pm on Friday and has only stopped for 3 hours since! They teamed up and have been switching in-out of that machine every 8 hours or so, and in fact that machine is heading to Trout Lake as I type, driven by the President, Jim DeKeyser! And as usual, groomer Dave is running his machine out of Brevort this evening.
Now to add to all this, in an impossible coincidence, both machines ripped their 3 point hitches off last night, in separate incidents. One was probably metal fatigue, an the other was a dispute with a tree stump. Groomer Dave hit the stump on his run, way on the North end. He was able to improvise a hook-up to the stiff hitch, and actually groom his way to St. Iggy for repairs, although with less control than normal. Can you believe this guy? He could have dropped drag, and ran the roads into town, but he grooms his way in, typical Dave. The other break thankfully happened right at the ice rink right after a driver swap, so repairs did not take long. Both machines were only down for a matter of hours.
I went out and fixed the iron bridge today, and also repaired the fuel pump station in Brevort. I ran into the president Jim D. on the way back, just North of Moran. These temps and heavy traffic are turning the center of the trails into mush. The groomers are leveling things out as fast as they can, but it does not take many sleds to destroy the trails with these conditions. I can tell you this, the groomer drivers were pissed that the trails got tore up on Friday, and I fully expect the machines to run almost non-stop for the rest of the weekend. Now mind you, we already have 4 extra grooms this weekend, and it is only Saturday. When it does finally get down to freezing, things whould be in great shape.
So, sorry things are bumpy folks, we are working on it!