Vasa trail grooming is up with increased snowfall

Fri, Jan  9, 2009 - By Missy Luyk

Hello Friends of TART-

Happy New Year!

We are happy to report that trail grooming is up with the increased snowfall! Paul Tata regularly sets his alarm for 4:00 a.m., gets up and checks the weather report online to determine if he or his crew should go out and groom the cross-country ski trails on the Vasa Pathway. Tata is the head groomer for TART Trails. With record snowfalls this season, TART groomers have groomed the trails 20 times already! That’s over 500 miles and approximately 170 on-trail hours! Pretty impressive considering that technically winter just began a little over 2 weeks ago.

TART owns high-tech grooming equipment that is used throughout the grooming season to prepare the trails for skiing. The burly LMC snowcat grooms a 12-foot corridor that sets both a skating lane and classic tracks. TART also owns three snowmobiles with grooming drags and an ASV Track Truck. Typically, the Vasa Pathway is groomed 3-4 times a week. The Leelanau Trail is generally groomed once a week, usually on Friday.

With the added snowfall and increased grooming, we suspect that our operating costs will also be greater this year. To support the trail grooming program, that provides funding for trail grooming personnel, equipment, maintenance and program office support, donate online at www.traversetrails.org or at the TART Trails office located in Old Town Traverse City. Grooming badge supporters will receive regular emailed grooming communications and a pin that supporters can display on their jacket or ski hat.

The trails have are in great shape. If anyone ever wanted to take up Nordic skiing, this winter would be the time to do it!

Happy trails,
Missy

Missy Luyk, Trail Program Specialist
TART Trails, Inc.
Office: 415 S Union St (2nd Flr) in Old Town Traverse City
Mail: PO Box 252 Traverse City MI 49685
231.941.4300
www.traversetrails.org