Snow too fluffy for Thunder Bay area trail groomers

The man in charge of maintaining Thunder Bay Adventure Trails says they still can't get the groomers out because the snow that's fallen this year is too dry to pack and groom properly.

Adrian Tessier, the groomer co-ordinator for Thunder Bay Adventure Trails, said there's a risk that machines will sink right through the powder and hit rocks or stumps underneath.

“What we need is some snow that you make snowballs and snowmen out of, and that would really make us happy, that would make a big difference for sure,” he said.

He cautions recreational riders who use the trails to be mindful of the danger.

"A lot of our trails are over swamps and areas that have rocks and logs and stumps,” he said.

"And because [one can] sink right to the bottom … damaging equipment …we haven't even been out with the stuff yet."

Trails around Shabaqua have about 50 cm of snow. Nevertheless, simply walking on the snow causes people to sink through, Tessier added. They've done some snow compacting tests, and find that it is not solid.
“It's just not staying packed and frozen,” he said.

“The snow is just too dry, which is really unusual. Normally we have some wet snows by now that work really great for that."

Last winter, Tessier said, the groomers were able to get out with “a lot less snow … but because the snow was of a consistency that would pack readily.”