# Darned Groomer!!!



## Putman Lake Campground (Oct 4, 2010)

Here's the scenario.

3 or 4 sleds coming at the groomer on a straight stretch broad daylight.

They drive right up to him, making him stop. They wait for HIM to move out of the way, he directs them off to the side of the trail (with a darned smile) so he can continue on.

An hour or so later, the same groomer is met by 15 or 20 sleds. It's dark now. He's lit up like a Christmas tree with more lights than Carter has Liver pills. They pull right up to him expecting him to back up and get out of their way. I was too far away to hear conversation, but it again appeared that he was friendly to them when he directed them off to the side of the trail. 

My group and I, broke trail for them around him; and it still took guidance to get them to use it. The Darned Groomer guy was pleasant with these knuckle heads again!!! Heck I'd of been tempted to have shown just a little emotion while not so kindly offering them some advice.

Holy cow. 

1. Put an experienced riders in the front of your pack of riders and the rear. Put in experienced riders in the middle.
2. Get out of the way of the Groomer, BEFORE they have to come to a stop. ( It doubles the amount of time it takes to groom, by making them stop constantly. ) 

3. Be sure to thank your groomer with a thumbs up, a wave, something to show your appreciation for their volunteer work. NOT the Middle finger!!


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## sylvan19 (Sep 13, 2009)

Some people just don't get it and all they think about is themselves.


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## Michael Wagner (Jul 17, 2007)

It was 2 yrs, ago a lady panicked when she met a groomer on the trail, hit the gas and ran into the front bucket, she walked away but the snowmobile rode out in the bucket. A good friend in Grayling is a volunteer driver I have seen him do 8 hrs. in the seat just to work another bunch of hrs. on the drag then another 4 hrs. finish the run because they were short a driver, all voluntary. A wave goes a long way for these fellas.


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## averageguy (Jan 1, 2008)

Nothing better than meeting the groomer on a rough trail! Pull over and let him go. Then its smoooth riding! The ones that don't know to respect the groomer are easy to spot. They wear the flouresent outfits and the motorcross helmets with googles, topped with the stick on mohawks. Please give them room as they hammer off of every stop sign "if they stop at all" and leave a foot deep hole and a foot high pile of snow. If you'd like to commend them on there awesome skills, just follow the blown out corners to the nearest bar and listen for the guys saying "Man, I was hammerin so f in hard I almost lost it! Ya,me too! Let's get another round!"


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## Michael Wagner (Jul 17, 2007)

averageguy said:


> Nothing better than meeting the groomer on a rough trail! Pull over and let him go. Then its smoooth riding! The ones that don't know to respect the groomer are easy to spot. They wear the flouresent outfits and the* motorcross helmets with googles, topped with the stick on mohawks. *Please give them room as they hammer off of every stop sign "if they stop at all" and leave a foot deep hole and a foot high pile of snow. If you'd like to commend them on there awesome skills, just follow the blown out corners to the nearest bar and listen for the guys saying "Man, I was hammerin so f in hard I almost lost it! Ya,me too! Let's get another round!"


The wife and I pulled into the Swamp for dinner last wk. and this guy pulled up on an Arctic Cat with a florescent green mohawk on his helmet, pulled the helmet off and was using both hands to smooth his real hair blonde mohawk to a point, we got a good chuckle outta that one :lol:


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## averageguy (Jan 1, 2008)

Michael Wagner said:


> The wife and I pulled into the Swamp for dinner last wk. and this guy pulled up on an Arctic Cat with a florescent green mohawk on his helmet, pulled the helmet off and was using both hands to smooth his real hair blonde mohawk to a point, we got a good chuckle outta that one :lol:


 And the winner of the "Look at Me" award goes to..........double mohawk guy!:lol:


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## Michael Wagner (Jul 17, 2007)

averageguy said:


> And the winner of the "Look at Me" award goes to..........double mohawk guy!:lol:


Ya had to see it to believe it :nono::nono::lol:


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## sjk984 (Jan 4, 2010)

My personal favorite is the whole grop of 5-8 riders wearing bodu armor talking about the cold cause their they choose BA instead of bibs and jackets. I dodn't think I have ever needed knee pads in 17 yrs of sledding.

This particular group we passed last weekend on our way to rudyard and 1 of them missed a corner and his sled was hangind for a branch about 6' of the ground by the ski. When we stopped the rider was complaning about the groomer no grooming the corners correctly. I just put the visor down and rode away.


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## NoWake (Feb 7, 2006)

The one and only time I took my old ice fishing sled on the trails, I learned trail riding was not for me. The trails were so whooped out, it was painful with my very limited suspension. Even going slow. I'm definitely not blaming the groomers, from what I seen it would be impossible for them to keep up with the way the vast majority of the people were riding. 

I would really enjoy a leisurely ride through the woods on trails, but it appears everyone else would rather run 90 mph nose to tail roosting every hill and corner. If that's what trail riding is all about I decided to stay out of their way.


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## Michael Wagner (Jul 17, 2007)

"Wake" one thing I`ve learned since retiring is if you can ride during the week alotta times you have the place to yourself and the trails are great, on the weekends the groomers just can`t keep up. In the heaviest part of the season Grayling will try to have everything flat by Fri. get the whole system in Sat night and then set up for the week on Sun night. From the looks of the weather this week it might be a short season up north.


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## NittanyDoug (May 30, 2006)

We always give groomers a wide birth and a thumbs up and a wave. Seeing them is a blessing. I am worried about my trip to Trout Lake next weekend though...


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## tdejong302 (Nov 28, 2004)

I have rented our lakefront home for 12 years now to snowmobilers and tell most if you can come Sunday and depart Sunday. You will have 6 great days of riding. After 6 days you can relax your last day and evening. Our trails in Munising are hammered by weekend warriors. Good luck and safe trails.. Todd at Powell Shores Lodge. com


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