Trail Report

Friday January 11, 2019 9:11AM

Good overall conditions

No snowfall

1 general warning

3 trail warnings

9:30 pm UPDATE: UNFORTUNATE NEWS – We are taking a big hit on the trails with high traffic and only having one groomer out tonight. The Spare Machine did about 1 mile of grooming and had problems with worn out hydraulic fittings not operating the groomer. Our Bully is down until Tuesday so first thing in the morning we will be swapping fittings with the spare machine to get her out there working. Please understand we are doing everything we can to keep two machines grooming the trails. Ride Right, have fun and watch for Groomers!

TRAILS LOOKING GOOD BUT….. IT’S ONE BIG ADVENTURE!
No new snow to talk about but trails were grooming out nicely yesterday and last night. It’s looking like a very busy, high-traffic weekend with all the trailers showing up and we will do our best to keep the trail conditions under control. Overall our trails are in very good condition with exception of Trail 417 and 418 which are Fair and schedule for serious prep work over the next few days.
Operators Dave and Daryl were out grooming yesterday with Operators Jim and Kris out last night. Trails 419 East, Trail 7 North and South, Trail 8 West and trail 422 were completed with good results.
What Happened?    Text messages coming in from Operator Kris last night around 9pm. “Bully is down near Miners Castle, something broke and overheating”. Chris and Keith ran out with a truck and the Snow Program’s Spare Pisten Bully that Alger SORVA is maintaining and storing. Turns out the Cooling Fan Clutch exploded and damaged the fan. A generator, a grinder and 2 hours later it’s ready to limp home. We put the groomer on the back-up machine and a long trip was made home by both machines, run – stop and cool down – run – stop……… Thanks Kris and Chris for working through the long trip back!
Fortunately, after a few hitch and wiring mods, the spare machine will keep us running until our Bully is fixed early next week.  (event pictures below)

Today’s Forecast: Scattered Snow Showers, 24 degrees and 5 to 10 mph SE wind. Less than 1 inch of accumulation.

PLEASE follow the trail onto the shoulder of M-28 at the railroad crossing. DO NOT cross directly over the railroad tracks. This is a safety concern for riders, a potential for train derailment and/or loss of a trail crossing.

PLEASE ride with caution, stay right and be respectful, stay on the trail and off the throttle when in the towns.
Keep Snow Dancing with your friends and stay tuned for updates!

(Today’s photo’s are Trail 7 South and Trail 422 with Bully recovery.)

WATCH FOR GROOMERS

- We have machines often doing both daytime and nighttime grooming runs. Please stay alert for grooming equipment on the trails.

Trail Conditions

8 East - Shingleton

Good

No fresh snow with a flat base to Shingleton. Groomed to 7 miles north of Shingleton Wednesday night. High traffic expected so trail may get rough as day progresses.

8 West - Chatham

Good

No fresh snow. Groomed well Thursday night. High traffic expected so trail may get rough as day progresses.

7 South - CR440

Good

No fresh snow. Groomed well Tuesday night to CR440 and again to Buckhorn Road Thursday. High traffic expected so trail may get rough as day progresses.

7 North - Christmas

Good

No fresh snow. Groomed well Thursday night. High traffic expected so trail may get rough as day progresses.

419 East - Wetmore

Good

No fresh snow, Groomed daily. High traffic expected so trail may get rough as day progresses.

419 West - Munising

Fair to Good

No fresh wet snow with a flat base. Groomed well Tuesday. Some areas have lighter snow conditions due to tree cover. Some larger hills are also icy. West Bay Spur not yet groomed, scheduled for Friday.

418 - Au Train

Fair

No fresh snow with drifting. Grooming planned later in the week. We are letting sleds pack in a base since it has been bare ground.

417 - Brownstone Jnct.

Fair

No fresh snow. Grooming planned for Tonight. Sections can be rough until then.

Large Rocks and very rough - ride with caution.

422 - Miners Castle

Good

No fresh snow with a flat base. Groomed well Thursday night.

STAY ON TRAIL! Follow Trail onto M-28 shoulder at Railroad Crossing near Timber Products. Do not cross the railroad tracks!

Wetmore Spur

Good

No fresh snow with a flat base. Groomed well Thursday night.

Use Caution in areas of steep side hill conditions near East end.