"Passing By A Groomer"
Passing a Groomer is usually a great experience since you know there are smooth trails ahead. However, it can quickly turn into a bad experience if some safety rules are not followed.
Did you know?
- Grooming equipment must stay on the trail or it will get stuck.
- Grooming equipment cannot easily back up.
- Grooming equipment will take up most of the available trail width on corners due to the length of the drag.
Recommended Practice for Passing By a Groomer
Approved by NHSA Map and Trails Committee
November 2006
1. For Oncoming Riders: The riders should pull off the trail and allow the groomer to pass by.
2. For Riders Overtaking a Groomer: The groomer operator should find a safe spot to pull over and stop. Each rider can then check to see if they can safely pass by the groomer.
Note: The groomer operator will NOT signal for sleds to pass by.
Reason: Each rider must take responsibility for passing by the groomer safely.
215-C:8 Operation of Snowmobiles. –
Section III b, Item 3:
10 miles per hour at trail junctions or parking lots, or when passing trail
grooming equipment.
The Next Time You want to Pass A Groomer, Think About This...
1. Many groomers have blades with wings that stick out beyond the tracks. Be sure to give the blade plenty of room.
2. Think about the riders behind you. Make sure there is safe place for you AND the remainder of your group to pass by the groomer.3. Groomer operators are instructed NOT to signal you to pass by. This is because each individual rider must take responsibility for their actions on the trail. Whenever possible, groomer operators will pull over to afford more room for riders to pass by, but this should not be interpreted as an automatic signal that the way ahead is clear. Each rider must check to make sure there is no oncoming traffic and there are no hazards ahead.
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