Spring Grooming and Skier Courtesy
As spring conditions come to the Keweenaw, the grooming pattern changes from the typical winter early morning effort to an evening affair. Groomers will refresh the skate lanes daily and occasionally re-set the classic tracks.
Early evening grooming allows the trail to “set up” overnight, meaning that the day’s ruts are removed and the snow re-freezes in that corduroy pattern we love to see. This process also allows the trail to maintain snow for as long as possible, while providing excellent spring skiing.
A groomed trail is not necessarily ready for skiing. When groomers are out in the early evening, it is tempting to follow them around and ski on the freshly groomed trail. But the groomers are out at the optimum time to allow the trails to set overnight. Sometimes that takes several passes. Because the temperature is still above freezing at this point, skiing on those freshly groomed trails means turning them into freshly rutted trails. While it may be an inconvenience, it is best to stay off of freshly groomed trails in the spring and come back in the morning.
Spring skiing can be the most fun time of the year, with the warmer temperatures during the day, yet below-freezing temps at night to allow the trails to re-form. You can help as a skier by paying attention to the grooming pattern and not skiing on the freshly groomed trail. As one groomer put it, “No rutting after evening grooming — good. Ruts after evening grooming — bad.”
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