Is VARDA getting the job done....

[SNOWHAWK]

So VARDA is the group in charge of grooming in Valemount... Are the getting the job done?

Well lets look at the last weekend. I rode Climina on fri. The trail in was great, the trail out, rough as crap... Why cant they groom it again around noon? On friday there was over 300 riders up there. thats 4500 bucks...

There new plan is to only groom chappel creek on thursdays. well on fri they had 140 riders sat comes along so guess what? the trail is brutal, but they still charged the 15 bucks to another 60 riders on sat. 3 foot high bumps all 26km

Its time VARDA step up to the plate.... You dont have this crap when you ride Revy....

 

[I'vegotthenutz]

I read the grooming report before I left on my trip. I knew the trail was to be groomed in miledge on thursday night so I went fri morning. Thats the quickest I have ever made it back there. On the way out I had to piss like six times because I was getting rocked on the way out.
If there was a guy standing there to collect 15 bucks from me on sat morning I would have just drove over him One evening a week is not near enough.
I would not pay unless it was groomed the night before or that morning.

 

[catmando]

My personal opinion is your lucky it gets groomed at all.Grooming to me is a bonus,if its a smooth ride in great,if its cry baby rough and you cant handle it stay home,more pow for the guys who want to ride.Fifteen dollars is nothing and it supports more than the groomer and the staff to run it.It keeps the trails open and supports the people who work hard to keep the tree huggers at bay.It is about a 5 month season at best,the payments on the groomer dont stop.Nobdy is getting rich off your 15 buck!
Sorry if I offend you but people seem to expect way more than that 15 buck can provide and that urk's me!
catmando!

 

[dooryder]

what about in the old days b4 any thing was groomed....if it was to rough u just didnt go..u found another place...but i think u should still pay cause then they have money to groom it next time...and if ur lucky the trail will be good

 

[sleddude]

If they are not grooming they should not be charging a cent. I am not paying a single thing to them if they are not working. They need to earn it. Not just be free loaders and expect us to just give them money for no reason.

 

[cey800]

Good converation boys. Good points both ways. Still think I will pay.... So it may not be groomed the morning you get there but can you imagine what it would be like through the season if there was no grooming at all.

 

[Sledderglen]

Here is a little info on grooming. In order for you trail to last a heavy load of traffic you need a good solid base. In powder snow areas such as mountains you base is soft. Cold temps and packed trails are needed. You groom at night for the temperture and you need to leave the trail set up for at least 6 hrs. In that 6 hrs or so no riders should use that trail or your time is wasted. That is why most grooming is done only at night so that it freezes and it is undisturbed. 300+ sleds a day in the mounains it is impossible for a trail to last. The things to do as a user to help save a trail is more important. The number 1 thing is do is control your speed. Slow down a little and use you throttle easy to prevent spinning. Dont overaccelerate out of corners slow down. I know we had the same kind of conditions in McBride and the groomer was doing all he could to provide a smooth trail for the users. It will take the groomer many hours of grooming to build up the trail again. If anything the trail maybe better after this as all the early season moguls were all pounded out and the trail is down to a flat base again. For me i was happy to pay because I can remember the old days with uguly trails morning and night. It is harder than you think to have a good trail that will handle a heavy traffic load on one of the busiest weeks in the year. So to all groomer operators thanks for trying to keep our trails as smooth as you can keep it up.

 

[Summiteer]

Here is a little info on grooming. In order for you trail to last a heavy load of traffic you need a good solid base. In powder snow areas such as mountains you base is soft. Cold temps and packed trails are needed. You groom at night for the temperture and you need to leave the trail set up for at least 6 hrs. In that 6 hrs or so no riders should use that trail or your time is wasted. That is why most grooming is done only at night so that it freezes and it is undisturbed. 300+ sleds a day in the mounains it is impossible for a trail to last. The things to do as a user to help save a trail is more important. The number 1 thing is do is control your speed. Slow down a little and use you throttle easy to prevent spinning. Dont overaccelerate out of corners slow down. I know we had the same kind of conditions in McBride and the groomer was doing all he could to provide a smooth trail for the users. It will take the groomer many hours of grooming to build up the trail again. If anything the trail maybe better after this as all the early season moguls were all pounded out and the trail is down to a flat base again. For me i was happy to pay because I can remember the old days with uguly trails morning and night. It is harder than you think to have a good trail that will handle a heavy traffic load on one of the busiest weeks in the year. So to all groomer operators thanks for trying to keep our trails as smooth as you can keep it up.

[rant on] Thing is Glen, some people want to have perfect trails, morning and night, want to be able to leave their garbage on the hill, want to be able to smoke cigarettes(and dope) in the cabins even when kids are there and will b!tch to no end when things aren't perfect. And you know what, those AREN'T usually the folks you see out setting and clearing trails, repairing cabins etc. They figure that the few dollars they throw in is more than enough, apparently not realizing that the guys out there doing the work paid the same fees as them. [rant off] If you don't like the job they are doing, step up and do it better or sled somewhere else......

 

[Shredder]

We always pay, and would never consider driving by without doing so. The groomer has more than the trail that "you" want to ride to look after. I always laugh when you get to your truck at the end of the day, and the clowns that blew past at 90 kms/h are complaining about the condition of the trail. Hmmm.... there's a little bump in the trail, let's all wick it just before the bump, land on the otherside with our 151" x 2.25" spinning 80 kms/h, and shoot off to the next bump, then do it all over again. Fun on the way in; then on the way out, "this trail is brutal, where's the fuggin' groomer, if they don't groom this tonite I'm not paying tommorrow." It's supposed to be a trail; not a snocross track, if more people realized that, and drove accordingly, the trails would stand up alot better between groomings. Sorry about the rant guys, but when 1 groomer does their best to maintain the trails; and then 200 guys do their best to wreck it, who's gonna win?

 

[BIGFOOT]

Great feedback on this topic guys ! I drive to Valemount & McBride to ride the deep & the big hills. I have paid for groomed trails & also rode up on rough trails with not payment ( Not groomed) only to return in evening to a groomed trail down....With no payment. Our group rides a few areas that never ever see a groomer & that don't stop us..... We are there to sled. With one groomer looking after all areas & the SMALL cost to pay to ride, I think we are very fortunate. Where can one go to enter a day of fun at such little cost..... Great job trail keepers ! If larger trail head payment is required to make ends meet.... I have not problem with it.

 

[Powder Puff]

I don`t like to see bashing any grooming programs on message boards, people don`t realize the amount of work that goes on in the background. You might have better results making a phone call and expressing your concerns. As for the costs the only thing I know for sure that is free is the snow.
Here are couple complaints we had this week for you all to enjoy.
" I hope you have good insurance because I am going to sue you for $10,000,000.00 because I was travelling at 15 km. an hr. down your trail and broke my suspension. "
" I want my trail pass fees back because the weather was bad and the snow was to deep to ride in. "

Have a great season VARDA and keep your chins up.

 

[bbtoys]

Hi to all. I live in Mcbride and am the president of our club here. The only time we get complaints is on weeks like we just had. 350 riders per day and driving the way most of them do on the way up, no trail will last. You are your own worst enemy because you can't maintain a constant speed.Trails need cold temps. to set-up so to groom in the middle of the day with the temps. at 0 would be like burning $$. (not yours of course) Another reason he can't start early in the day is logistics, 300 sledders coming down the hill, how much is he going to get done, pulling the groomer off the trail so you can get by. For the most part, trails are in good shape most of the time and the few complaints that we do get at this time of the year, as a club we deal with them one at a time and do respond to all complaints. Happy sledd'n. Pack out what you pack in.

 

[SNOWHAWK]

You all have good points... I have been riding in valemount for a long time. I remember new years 2000 no grooming at all. I dont care so much on the way down, but there is no way they should charge when the trail is wrecked...

maybe I should set up a booth beside the varda booth and offer trail passes at 10 bucks per head...
Hey I didn't groom it either...

I know it takes alot of money and time to get the job done right, but why is it smooth in other places like Revy... On weekends like this one that groomer should be going up and down 2 times a day...

 

[bigdog67]

For all those people that are concerned that the groomer isn't doing the job,maybe volunteer to ride with him for a time and see what is involved with maintaining the trals we ride on.I,myself can't make an educated opinion because I don't know his\her job.What I do know is that I appreciate having someone that makes my ride a smooth as possible,when possible.If the trail gets beat up,it's just part of the sport we all enjoy.So with my little rant done,I'll pay my $15 all the time...

 

[Doug]

I find that the people that complain about the trail are often the same people that are distroying the trail. If you can't get up the trail without spinning your track you should stay at home and ride the flatland that you came from.
The trail is a neccessary evil to GET to the riding.When you get to the alpine the flipper should be to the bar all day long. If you think the trail is a race up and down , stay at home.The trail passes are a bargin when you consider what a day of riding costs. It's not a problem with how often the trails get groomed it's how they get ridden.

 

[I'vegotthenutz]

You all have good points... I have been riding in valemount for a long time. I remember new years 2000 no grooming at all. I dont care so much on the way down, but there is no way they should charge when the trail is wrecked...

maybe I should set up a booth beside the varda booth and offer trail passes at 10 bucks per head...
Hey I didn't groom it either...

I know it takes alot of money and time to get the job done right, but why is it smooth in other places like Revy... On weekends like this one that groomer should be going up and down 2 times a day...

Arn't you glad you started this thread

 

[sleddude]

The groomers are doing a great job. If you want to complain about the trails you should maybe try to get people to ride a bit more responsibly so as not to create huge bumps.

 

[I'vegotthenutz]

If they are not grooming they should not be charging a cent. I am not paying a single thing to them if they are not working. They need to earn it. Not just be free loaders and expect us to just give them money for no reason.

Are you bi-polar? Arn't you the same guy that wrote this

 

[tmix]

Yeah, i think VARDA is gettn the job done.With all those sleds the trail has no chance of holding up, it's all about respect, respect for the environment and all users that enjoy our sport, there is always a few bad apples but i think that there is way more positives than negatives...let ur snow!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CR500R]

I rode Allen on Friday, paid my 15 bucks for a trail that wasn't groomed, wasn't surprised at this at all, I think in the past 10 years I've only been lucky to ride a groomed trail up 5-6 times, not complaining as I don't usually ride the areas that are being groomed, I hate the crowds. But was does amaze me and has been mentioned here all ready is the inability of most riders to be able to control the throttle around corners. All the switchbacks up were spun clean and iced up. What gives, are there that many dumba$$ riders out there these days? Our trails up into the back country don't get chewed up like Allen was Friday morning.