The Ogden Nordic Grooming Team, headed for the 6th year by Dave Jenkins (Eden), consists of 24 people dedicated to the idea that good grooming makes for great skiing.  Some of the team has been here all 6 years while others come and go as their schedules allow.  We volunteer twice a month to make the ski trails in North Fork Park practically perfect.  We groom mostly in the dark, after dusk or before dawn, so the snow has time to set up and provide an optimal surface for gliding.  A typical grooming run takes 3 hours or more.  We groom the nights of Sun. Tues. Thurs. Friday and Sat. so the skiing is ready first thing the next morning.

 

Our tools include a pair of snowmobiles with grooming drags.  These are more like tractors pulling harrows than sport machines high marking in the back country.  Wide tracks and low gearing allow for slow speeds and the good traction necessary to obtain a fine skiing surface.  In addition we use a Bombardier snow-cat with tiller and classic pans to put the park in order after big storm events and heavy use.

There is a certain Zen that develops out on the grooming route in the dark, a satisfaction knowing that, in part, what we do is etch poetry into the snow to be read by winter travelers the next day.  Our efforts are fleeting but the results are timeless.

If you are seriously interested in becoming a grooming team member, contact Dave Jenkins at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it