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Trail Grooming Operations
The Missaukee Trail Blazers are responsible for the care and grooming of over 50 miles of snowmobile trails in Missaukee County. The Miss-Kal trail as it is called, starts at the Iron Bridge over the Manistee River in Manton. It continues East to a point we call the "T". From the "T", it continues South to Lake City or East to Moorestown. In order to maintain the Trails, we had to acquisition (2) tractors and groomers from the D.N.R. in Manton. Below are some pictures and the specifications of the units. Groomer 1
Groomer 1 is a Ford New Holland 8560 4x4 Turbo Diesel. Equipped with a 7314 Front End Loader, it is capable of pulling the 10' Sno-Plane groomer with ease. Mainly used for the "Moorestown" run, this tractor makes over 130 horse power from its 7.5 Liter power plant, to easily manuver through the hilly areas to the East. Push button shifting, and a great heater make this tractor an ideal snow grooming machine.
Groomer 2
Groomer 2 is a Case International 5250, 4x4 Turbo Diesel. Equipped with a 520 Front End Loader, it is capable of pulling the 10' Sno-Plane groomer along level surfaces. Primarily used on the trail towards Manton, this tractor dials in at 112 horse power. Even over 10 years old, this tractor still does its job quite well. Automatic Transmission, Heated Cab and a user friendly control panel, make this tractor an operators dream.
Sno-Plane Grooming Sleds Both tractors pull 10' Sno-Plane Grooming sleds. The sleds work by busting the surface with a front hinged cutter. Snow then travels to the first grader blade, which can be lowered about 2" below the sled's rails to cut bumps out of the trail. Snow starts to roll in what we like to call the "log". Some of the snow escapes under the first grader blade, filling in low spots on the trail and some makes it to the second grader blade. This blade can also be used for cutting if the trails are real rough. As the snow makes its way past the second grader blade, an angled collector grabs all of the snow and funnels it under the pan. The pan, at the back of the sled, compresses all of the snow under it, with the full weight of the grooming sled. This is what leaves that beautiful finish.
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Smooth Trails
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