The Vallecito Nordic Ski Club is preparing to upgrade its grooming efforts this winter thanks to a new snowcat machine. But, the club still could use some help paying for the machine.
For almost 30 years, the Vallecito Nordic Winter Trails around Vallecito Reservoir have been groomed for skiing thanks to volunteers on snowmobiles grooming the trails by dragging heavy things behind the snowmobiles.
The trails have become more popular every year according to Vallecito Nordic Club Board Member Eric Pierson.
“Nordic skiing is a low-cost way to enjoy the snow and Vallecito is a relatively flat rolling hills type of terrain,” Pierson said. “So it's a great place for people to learn to ski, whether it's classic, skate or snowshoe. We groom snowshoe trails as well out there.”
But in recent years, the club has run into two problems. One is the aging volunteer workforce and the other is it’s very hard for the club to find rugged snowmobiles needed for the purposes the club needs them for.
That’s what got the club thinking about purchasing the Favero Snow Rabbit 3X snowcat machine. The Favero Snow Rabbit 3X is a smaller version of the big groomer snowcats skiers see at Durango Nordic Ski Club or at Purgatory Resort.
The Favero Snow Rabbit 3X can groom the forest service road at Vallecito and the narrow trails through the campgrounds. The club will groom seven days a week with the new snowcat with a smaller grooming workforce. The new snowcat can also groom two set lanes of skiing compared to only one lane right now.
“We'll be able to more ably groom early and late in the season, particularly late in the season where we have hot days, where it ices over at night; we'll be able to churn up the ice and smooth it out again,” Pierson said. “Our other big challenge over the years has been whenever we get heavy snowfall, a foot or more up at Vallecito, it’s literally days of snowmobile work to get the trail in a condition that it can be done. This snowcat with its wide tracks and heavy weight is greatly going to reduce the amount of time it takes to get heavy snowfall compacted and prepared for skiing.”
In the past, volunteers would have to drag grooming sleds with teeth to break up the ice. It would take multiple passes over the same section of trail to break up the ice. Groomers were out early in the morning wearing snow suits on their snowmobiles for 12 hours trying to get the trails in the conditions skiers expect, according to Pierson.
The Favero Snow Rabbit 3X costs $190,000. A benefactor is helping the club purchase the snowcat and the club is looking for individuals and businesses to help pay for the snowcat. The club has already raised over $127,000 through donations.
“We've received outstanding support from our membership and local businesses in our fundraising efforts so far,” Pierson said. “We're just extremely grateful for that support. We're just waiting for snow. Once our the local skiers get out on this new surface, hopefully, that'll encourage folks to say, ‘Hey, this is, this is a worthwhile project to contribute to.”’
For more information or to make a pledge contact at: vallecitonordic@gmail.com
bkelly@durangoherald.com
