Trail Grooming Season Ends – Driftriders Pleased with Season

SEELEY LAKE – "The groomer is out," was Bruce Friede's response this winter when people from Double Arrow Ranch said they saw flashing lights in the darkness on the hillside across the valley. Friede, the Seeley Lake Driftriders' groomer chair, said it was a great season, with a lot of snow and happy visitors. While the grooming season has ended, the snowmobile club is already making plans for next year.

One of the goals for the Driftriders' board this year was to get Seeley Lake back into "American Snowmobiler" magazine's list of top 10 places to go in the country. Seeley Lake hasn't made the list for the past 10 years.

"I think we fell behind in technology, the ability that we had to be able to take care of everything and we've had a few years of poor luck with equipment that have caused issues," said Driftriders Board Member Jeff McLean. Now with the second groomer and some different techniques, they are hoping to get closer to making the list for the 2018-2019 snow season. "We want people to know, all over the country, that Seeley Lake is open for snowmobile business."

McLean explained this year they had more snow and more use than they have seen in many years. There were nearly 130 vehicles with trailers parked at the heliport on a couple different weekends. Kurt's Polaris, Rovero's and Kra-Z's all sell the $25 out-of-state annual trail passes. All three places ran out in early March. Kurt's sold 270.

Friede, a retired Montana Department of Transportation Section Chief, became the volunteer groomer chair Jan. 1. Once the club was able to groom the entire system after cutting out countless trees down from the large amount and heavy snow that fell the end of December, they shifted their routes to areas that needed it most. They regularly groomed the high-use trails from the heliport to the warming hut. They maintained the interconnectivity from Seeley Lake to Lincoln and Arlee. They also worked closely with area groups and outfitters planning the routes to help accommodate their needs while accomplishing the goals of the club.

"The focus, even though the groomer is more of a snowmobile function, it is multi-faceted. You have ski clubs, you have dog sled races, you have all sorts of different groups that come to the valley and utilize those," said Friede. "The groomers were used to help facilitate those activities."

Even though they still had mechanical issues with both of the groomers, they were able to work through them when they were caught up. They always had at least one groomer available when needed. They employed up to seven operators at one time.

Friede said that one of the big changes this year was switching from using the tiller to the mogul master. He described the mogul master as a "land leveler for snow."

McLean said that this switch goes back to what the club used to do. Talking with other clubs that manage the best trails in some of the top tourist destinations, including West Yellowstone, confirmed the old practice. The mogule master was used primarily on the westside regardless of whether there was a lot of snow or rain.

"They said it is the only way they can keep their trails smooth and in good shape," said Friede. "I think that paid dividends to the club and the community because it kept the trails a lot smoother and we got more longevity out of the trails."

The club hopes to purchase another one in the future so each groomer will be outfitted.

One of the biggest challenges for the season was fuel economy. Each groomer is suppose to run at six to eight gallons per hour but one averaged 13 gallons per hour and the other nine gallons per hour. At $2.48 per gallon they went through around 6,000 gallons of diesel.

"When you have a machine that is burning a third more fuel and not producing a third more work, that becomes an expense issue," said Friede. "That is the kind of thing that we need to monitor because we need to be able to do the work but we need to be able to do it efficiently."

Having two groomers also presents the challenge of outfitting them both with all the equipment they need. Friede looks forward to purchasing more equipment next year that will keep the machines up and running as efficiently as possible.

One of the big savings this year was the new groomer shed at the heliport. This saved two hours of windshield time for the groomers to get to the west side from the old groomer shed on south Boy Scout Road.

"It all comes down to the almighty buck. We are doing this for the community," said Friede. "This is what keeps town moving in the winter."

Friede said compliments where up and complaints were down this year. People were happy to see the trails groomed every morning.

"That does a lot of things like bring in more people," said Friede. "The snowmobilers do spend a lot of money in this Valley."

While there is three feet of new snow in the mountains, the Driftriders wish they could continue grooming but they are out of money. While they do get grant funding from the state, funding also comes from memberships to the club and their annual Snow Ball Fundraiser in January.

"If people are enjoying how smooth the trails are, they need to definitely consider joining the club to help push that further. The [Recreation Trails Program] grants go so far and then membership dues and fundraising takes us the rest of the way," said McLean. "If we gain a few more members then it is just further into the season that we can go."

For next year, the Driftriders are pursuing a mutual aid agreement with Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue should the groomer need to be used in a rescue situation. This would enable them to get paid for the time the groomer is used and ensure the club is not liable if something unexpected happened since it is being used for a purpose outside of grooming.

 "Anything that can be done to save someone's life needs to be done," said McLean. "If that is using the groomer, then it needs to go out. We just need to make sure protocols are in place and [we are covered]."

McLean said the Driftriders hope to unite the businesses, individuals and the club to promote Seeley Lake as a major snowmobile destination next year. Friede sees a lot of opportunity for businesses to cater to riders, especially a destination or something to do on a night ride.

Friede said, "The groomers are here to keep this town vibrant and this year they proved that they did."