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theabortionator
May, 2025

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Petition to stop grooming

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Mr.Lumpyjumbles
Posts: 157 - Karma: 1,444
How many damn groomed runs does a mountain need to have?

Resorts put all this money into piling up beautiful mounds of man-made snow, only to flatten it all out before letting anyone ski on it. God forbid we get to ski on anything more interesting than a flat sheet of boilerplate before mid-march when it decides to snow an inch or two.

I hiked up to get two turns on a closed trail getting blasted by the guns last week at my local before they groomed it, squeezing what ever fluff there was into a solid corduroy strip of death. They were my best turns of the day. It's more work for the resort to groom it, why can't they leave some nice whalebacks with quasi-natural takeoffs and landings for us jibbers?

# of groomed trails at my local: 40
# of snowmaking piles at my local: 0

It's time for this to stop. Tell your local to stop grooming trails today.
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a year ago
9 7
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eheath
Posts: 61949 - Karma: 126,666
This has to be bait.
a year ago
13 0
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SlushSeason
Posts: 1177 - Karma: 8,985
Those mounds of manmade snow feel like they're made out of cast iron
a year ago
27 0
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PartyBullshiit
Posts: 4718 - Karma: 20,096
Funny people were bitching up a storm on the lifts in beaver that nothing was groomed when the app said it was.
a year ago
7 2
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WittyCong
Posts: 211 - Karma: 752
Makes no sense to keep things mounded up when its as warm as it is (at least here on the east coast). Those mounds turn to sandpaper if its too warm. I remember one time when I was younger I went to launch off one when they were still blasting it with snow and my skis stayed put and I went flying. Broke my nose and 2 ribs that time 10/10 do not recommend.
a year ago
9 0
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ReturnToMonkey
Posts: 6448 - Karma: 70,207
Grooming makes snow stick around longer. Mountains rely on it to extend their seasons as long as possible in warmer/dryer years
a year ago
9 0
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SlushSeason
Posts: 1177 - Karma: 8,985
True. Ungroomed runs turn to crusty-ass sun cups in the late spring while the groomed runs still ski great
ReturnToMonkeyGrooming makes snow stick around longer. Mountains rely on it to extend their seasons as long as possible in warmer/dryer years
a year ago
4 0
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dwt802
Posts: 3368 - Karma: 33,187
Honestly I’m kinda with you, let us ride the whales while/if the snow is good. When they freeze flatten them out. When they’re groomed immediately it’s typically icy.
a year ago
9 0
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BallClapper
Posts: 3704 - Karma: 16,804
Early season at my mountian there were bulletproof moguls the size of 5th graders that immediately turned the blue run to a double black. And that sucked for those who hadn't had much experience with the mountian and are on the lower end of the skill spectrum.
a year ago
6 1
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steezytangerine
Posts: 407 - Karma: 2,732
But for anyone that can ski I bet it was sick
BallClapperEarly season at my mountian there were bulletproof moguls the size of 5th graders that immediately turned the blue run to a double black. And that sucked for those who hadn't had much experience with the mountian and are on the lower end of the skill spectrum.
a year ago
6 0
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theabortionator
Posts: 52609 - Karma: 174,419
The families that pay $$$ want things groomed out. People get pissed if things aren't groomed, even in powder days.
a year ago
5 0
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GayWolf420
Posts: 38071 - Karma: 129,457
Guy over here doesn't understand what cat-compaction and skier compaction means.
a year ago
1 2
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PsychicMigration
Posts: 2099 - Karma: 10,552
So many trails are over groomed now. Grooming them 2 to 3 times a week seems optimal to keep things no chattery and firm as can be. I think half the issue is most trail now have been widened to accommodate more ski traffic so resorts can pump people up the hill on 6 and 8 packs to sell more tickets but still mitigate rider collisions and risk.
a year ago
2 0
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Rock_Inhabitant
Posts: 1540 - Karma: 16,672
Username checks out
a year ago
1 0
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GayWolf420
Posts: 38071 - Karma: 129,457
I think we need to start grooming Highboy and The Cirque.
a year ago
2 0
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SlushSeason
Posts: 1177 - Karma: 8,985
I remember skiing mammoth as a young kid ~20 years ago and we had a midweek powder day. Nearly nothing was groomed and I HATED it. It was so hard to move through powder while being that small and on narrow skis. So i get where they're coming from



But also... fuck them kids
theabortionatorThe families that pay $$$ want things groomed out. People get pissed if things aren't groomed, even in powder days.
a year ago
0 0
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SmokedGouda
Posts: 1233 - Karma: 6,874
Grooming is an art. Fresh cord in the morning when the pow is crusty dusty is nice. We all love a good pow run, but i also dont know anyone who also doesnt like a good morning groomer to warm the legs up. Just go skiing and dont worry bout it. Its not like youre skiin on bleu cheese when youre on a groomer unless its late season and you want some last minute ski hill mold to damage you umpteenth pair of skis this season to start a fresh quiver next szn.
a year ago
0 0
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Rock_Inhabitant
Posts: 1540 - Karma: 16,672
SlushSeasonI remember skiing mammoth as a young kid ~20 years ago and we had a midweek powder day. Nearly nothing was groomed and I HATED it. It was so hard to move through powder while being that small and on narrow skis. So i get where they're coming from



But also... fuck them kids


I think the arterial cat tracks should be groomed plus a few blue groomers or something but other than that I’m on the no-groom-on-powder-day side
a year ago
0 0
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midwestcoast
Posts: 235 - Karma: 2,388
petition to stop grooming my balls maybe. the whale's in CO are bulletproof. move to a real mountain like the rest of us sellouts
a year ago
1 0
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TOAST.
Posts: 7748 - Karma: 39,620
dwt802Honestly I’m kinda with you, let us ride the whales while/if the snow is good. When they freeze flatten them out. When they’re groomed immediately it’s typically icy.

I'm going to assume pushing those piles out is a lot easier on the cat when they are kinda fresh, but I could be wrong.
a year ago
0 0
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theabortionator
Posts: 52609 - Karma: 174,419
TOAST.I'm going to assume pushing those piles out is a lot easier on the cat when they are kinda fresh, but I could be wrong.


They leave them to let them leach/dry out usually. If it's wetter snow. Can push it whenever but if its fresh its pretty sticky(if you're making base snow or marginal temps)

Gets that crust on the outside but pretty easy to break through with the cat and them spreading the snow out is a lot easier and the grooming less lumpy.


A lot of times its just easier for places to make a shit ton of snow and then grade the trail when they're done.
a year ago
0 0
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