Bump runs, freeze/thaw

[nhskier1969]

I wanted to get everyones opinions.

Why don't ski resorts groom bump runs after a freeze/thaw? I don't know about anyone else but I hate couple inches of snow on ice bumps underneath.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

Because you end up with a firm, icy base, and when bumps do form again, they're spread out piles with ice troughs in between. Leaving them alone results in better conditions long term, albeit with the tradeoff being a (hopefully short) time period of the conditions you describe. But with skier traffic breaking up the surface combined with wind loading and hopefully some fresh snow (man made or natural), they'll ski back to much nicer moguls than grooming them out.

That's obviously not the method many areas employ. But that's the voice of lots of years at the sticks of a snowcat and managing snow surfaces, from the perspective of an obsessive mogul skier.

Edit to add: obviously there is a time for grooming out bumps if it actually represents a sufficient safety concern. But in most cases, it does more harm than good to the quality of the moguls and skiing experience.

 

[deadheadskier]

Because you end up with a firm, icy base, and when bumps do form again, they're spread out piles with ice troughs in between. Leaving them alone results in better conditions long term, albeit with the tradeoff being a (hopefully short) time period of the conditions you describe. But with skier traffic breaking up the surface combined with wind loading and hopefully some fresh snow (man made or natural), they'll ski back to much nicer moguls than grooming them out.

That's obviously not the method many areas employ. But that's the voice of lots of years at the sticks of a snowcat and managing snow surfaces, from the perspective of an obsessive mogul skier.

Edit to add: obviously there is a time for grooming out bumps if it actually represents a sufficient safety concern. But in most cases, it does more harm than good to the quality of the moguls and skiing experience.

100% this. Leave em alone and be patient. Grooming is worse in the long run

 

[nhskier1969]

You can have the groomer chew up the ice base without grooming it. With a little human grooming and a couple inches of snow. The surfaces should bound well.

It least this way it won't be dust on crust

 

[nhskier1969]

BTW, did everyone know moguls migrate uphill during the season.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

You can have the groomer chew up the ice base without grooming it. With a little human grooming and a couple inches of snow. The surfaces should bound well.

It least this way it won't be dust on crust

Realistically this would just make a mess on ice bumps. The grousers would pull up hard, icy chunks, leaving chunky bumps and chunk-filled troughs, and a largely unskiable surface. Experience tells me leave them alone, let the skiers chew them up, and let some new snow do the rest.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

BTW, did everyone know moguls migrate uphill during the season.

Indeed they do!

 

[Smellytele]

That was way too fast and showed me nothing…

 

[Smellytele]

Hey BMM where are you working now? Weren’t you at Cooper? Or was it another “smaller” Colorado mountain?

 

[BushMogulMaster]

Still at Cooper.