How to Groom a Cross Country Ski Trail

For a cross country skier, nothing beats a well groomed trail on a beautiful day. No one can guarantee the weather, but the art of grooming can be learned by anyone with the right equipment and plenty of practice. Even though it can get expensive to purchase the equipment, you can enjoy a beautifully groomed trail with a work-grade snowmobile, the skill to operate it and the proper equipment to drag behind it.

Things You'll Need

  • Work-grade snowmobile
  • Compaction drag tool
  • Snow comb
  • Track setter
  • Lever lift
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Instructions

    • 1

      Compact fresh, deep snow. A base of at least 6 inches is needed to begin grooming a trail for the season. A compacting tool such as the YTS Compaction Drag is needed to pack and smooth the snow. Drag this tool behind your snowmobile to create the smooth, even surface needed for that perfect cross-country trail.

    • 2

      Comb the snow. Skate skiers want a compacted base with a soft surface for better control of their skis. What's known as a "snow comb" can be used to create the perfect surface. This can be dragged behind the compaction tool to complete both Steps 1 and 2 in one pass.

    • 3

      Set tracks for classic-style skiing to provide smooth glide and optimum efficiency. These tracks are two parallel grooves in the snow, and are made with a track-setting tool such as the Lightweight Tracksetter, also available from YTS.

    • 4

      Lift tracks on steep, winding hills. It's easier to ski out of the tracks on difficult portions of the trail where more control is needed, or where two trails intersect. If the track-setting equipment can be lifted up in those portions of the trail, the classic skier will have a wider trail to maneuver in, and the trail will be safer for everyone. Attaching a lever lift is a simple way to lift your track-setting device whenever this is needed.

    • 5

      Renovate the snow. With heavy use, ice storms, and thawing and refreezing conditions, the snow may need to be regroomed. The pressure on the grooming tool can be adjusted according to the depth needed to touch up the snow. A heavier regrooming may be needed depending on the trail conditions.

    • 6

      Repeat the procedure. Skiers relish a fresh snowfall, but with new snow comes the duty of starting over again from Step 1 in order to compact the snow and set new tracks.