TRAVERSE CITY -- In the Grand Traverse region, an army of about three dozen volunteers ride the trails nights and weekends to groom the paths for fellow snowmobilers.
Members of the Grand Traverse Area Snowmobile Council operate two oversized John Deere tractors and drags in shifts over 90 miles of trails in their domain.
Winding along the DNR-certified trails at seven to eight miles per hour, the volunteers smooth the snow to provide a stable riding surface. They operate in shifts out and back over three different routes. The groomers try to ride off hours so they are not in the way of snowmobilers, giving up personal and usually sleep time for the benefit of others.
Spending up to eight hours in the heated cab, which is equipped with a radio, the drivers concentrate on the winding track while operating the drag's front blade, middle two articulated blades and finishing rear back pan. Snowmobilers usually yield cheerfully and raise an appreciative wave as the groomers pass by.
"Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time it's beautiful, the other tenth of the time when you break down, well..." said Sid Hamill, vice president of the council and owner of Ranch Rudolph.
The DNR used to groom snowmobile trails throughout the state but not on weekends, when use was heaviest. Volunteers began grooming Grand Traverse area trails in 1986, noted Hamill. A core of them personally signed a loan to purchase at an auction their first grooming equipment.
When the state decided to support volunteer groomers instead of grooming the trails some money became available to councils for equipment. The Grand Traverse Area Snowmobile Council's current two $115,000 rigs, including tractor and drag, were purchased using a portion of state money from trail permit fees.
Snowmobiler Bill Gay was motivated to join the council in the early 1990s, pitching in as founding members were aging and needed help.
"I was a younger guy and all these guys were older and I said, 'I need to get involved in this thing,'" said Gay, president of the Grand Traverse Area Snowmobile Council. "A lot of these guys ride the trails and say, 'I paid my $25 (for a permit) why should I groom it?' But your buddy, he's not out riding because he's out grooming."
"We need to give back when using the trails," he added, noting without grooming the trails can get rutted and humped (into "whoops") like a motocross course.
"That takes the fun out of riding," Gay said.
Hamill hosts the council's grooming equipment on his Ranch Rudolph property. In September, the council built a 16- by 24-foot grooming barn to hold signs, diesel fuel for the tractors and other equipment.
Maintaining the trails is a year-round job and members of the council also cut brush in the fall and spring, put up and take down trail signs before and after the snowmobile season and hold periodic work bees.
To drum up support, raise awareness of what they do and recruit new groomers, council members also drive the tractor in the annual Cherry Royale Parade and have a display at the Northwestern Michigan Fair.
When volunteer numbers ran extremely low, Gay organized a groomer driving clinic about five years ago. A few more clinics since then have boosted the roster up back up over the 30 or so participants.
"Without a lot of volunteers it wouldn't happen," said Hamill of the trail grooming. "You can't expect (one person) to be out here every night."
For more information on the Grand Traverse Area Snowmobile Council or trail grooming, see www.gtareasnowmobile.com.
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