THUNDER BAY — The severe weather system that swept over Northwestern Ontario last week has created a lot of extra work for snowmobile trail groomers.
"There's significant damage. We're going to basically have to do the whole system where we have narrower trails," says Adrian Tessier, grooming coordinator for Thunder Bay Adventure Trails.
TBAT maintains about 400 kilometres of snowmobile trails.
In a normal year, they don't open until late December or early January, but the trails have to be prepared beforehand.
The group acquired a new brushing unit this year that's towed behind a quad to remove vegetation.
Before the storm that brought 80 km/h wind, 80 to 90 per cent of the trail network had been completely brushed "in 100 per cent top-notch condition, ready for the snow," Tessier said.
"Then this happened. Basically we're starting from square one."
He's trying to arrange for a few work parties to start with trails closer to Thunder Bay this coming weekend.
"It's going to take some time, there's no doubt," Tessier said, but he's confident the trails can be cleared before heavy snow arrives and that there will be lots of time to groom them once there's enough snow on the ground.
He added that TBAT aims to provide a top-level riding experience for trail permit holders, "so this is all part of what we do in order to achieve that."
