Brains
Robert “Bob” Joyner has been a snow groomer at Liberty Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania for 21 years and knows the work, dedication, and sacrifices it takes to get the slopes ready every evening for skiers and snowboarders to grab first tracks in the morning. Being a snow groomer can be seen as a thankless job at a ski resort; however, it is one of many jobs that must be done and is vital to operations. It involves long nights, being alone in a snowcat, and pushing snow around the mountain for eight or more hours. However, for the right person, it has also been described as one of the best jobs on the mountain. I had the great experience of spending five hours in a snowcat with Joyner, finding out what the job was all about.
The first thing I noticed was how clean Joyner’s snowcat was. Inside and out, the snowcat was spotless, which is a strong sign that Joyner cared about the $600,000 Pisten Bully, which was his “office” every night he went to work. The outside of the snowcat was shiny and not covered in dirt or residue. The inside had everything in place, no clutter, no trash on the seats or floor; the snowcat was ready to go to work. The snowcat isn’t small; most skiers and snowboarders have probably seen a snowcat on the mountain before, but standing next to it puts it into perspective how intimidating it is.
The snowcat looks mean, a “civilian tank” with its two tracks that enable it to tackle snow, ice, and steep terrain; it navigates every day. At first, a person might think that the snowcat would be very loud and uncomfortable to drive or ride in, but it was not. On the contrary, it was fairly quiet inside the cab, and it was easy to have a conversation with Joyner throughout the night without raising our voices to talk to one another. It was also very surprising how smooth it was. It wasn’t jerky, bouncy, or rough. On the slopes, the snowcat traversed them like a ballerina on stage, moving around with ease and precision. The snowcat is also heated, which allows the operator to be nice and cozy during the freezing and bone-chilling temperatures throughout the night.
Before we headed out onto the slopes, Joyner inspected the snowcat and also greased the winch, which would be used to groom the steep slopes on the mountain. The winch is used in steep conditions for obvious safety reasons, but it also allows the snowcat to groom the terrain more effectively, consistently, and efficiently. By hooking the winch, the snowcat can move up and down the steep slopes in a steady, smooth, and methodical way. This eliminates the possibility of the snowcat sliding down the mountain, and also assists it when ascending the slopes as well. “I prefer to have the winch, because you don’t get a good product [without it],” Joyner said. “There’s safety to it, so there’s no sliding, and you’re not dragging all the snow down the hill with you.”
Doing operator-level maintenance on the snowcat is important. Joyner understands this would help ensure the machine didn’t go down or have any preventable mechanical problems. That would lead to less downtime and the slopes being groomed properly. It would also elevate the stress on the maintenance team from doing work on the snowcat, which may not have had to be done if the proper care for it had been taken. It is all about getting the teams on the mountain to work together for the common goal, which is to provide the best conditions at the resort.
My snowcat ride-along showed me how passionate Joyner and other snowcat groomers are about making the slopes and terrain the absolute best they can. It takes a combination of artistry, technical skill, solitude, and pride to be a snow groomer. I learned very quickly how dedicated Joyner was to accomplishing his tasks and responsibilities to the best of his abilities. He was definitely not out there “punching the clock” all night long. Pride in doing his job is something Joyner takes very seriously. Liberty Mountain is a teaching mountain and caters to beginner skiers and snowboarders. “We get to really enjoy making it perfect and dialing it in just right so that everybody can learn in the best conditions possible,” Joyner said.
Joyner demonstrated and explained grooming techniques on how snow groomers use the snowcat like a precision tool, almost like a surgeon uses a blade to perform operations. The snow groomers aren’t on the mountain pushing snow around with no purpose or plan. It is a combination of teamwork and skill to get the job done correctly. Joyner showed how the blade of the snowcat is used to cut high spots and fill in lows. Every angle of the blade matters when snow grooming. If the blade is angled too high or too low, it could cause the snowcat to not perform well, leading to poor terrain or conditions. That is where an experienced and skilled snow groomer will know how to angle the blade to the correct position to provide the best conditions promptly.
Time matters, and spending more time grooming the same terrain more than once leads to time wasted. Ski resorts aren’t small; there’s a lot of terrain to cover in one night, and there’s always another trail to groom next. So, grooming a trail the first time properly is key. However, that does not mean snow groomers are racing snowcats around the mountain all night long at top speed. Moving more slowly, more smoothly, and methodically improves the chances of getting the job done the first time, according to Joyner. Moving at a slower speed allows the snowcat to groom the terrain more effectively, and leads to fewer mistakes, which then have to be corrected. “It’s definitely an art form, I get to be creative, but it’s also a challenge to get this the way I want it in a timely manner, it’s all on feel for the conditions of the snow,” Joyner said.
The snowcat is a very sophisticated piece of equipment. There are many instruments, controls, and hardware that go into a snowcat. One thing that I have always wanted to know is how a snowcat makes corduroy. The snow groomers use the tiller to pulverize and lay down that picture-perfect corduroy. The tiller is on the rear of the snowcat and lies on the snow, crushing any pieces of larger snow, and then digs in the snow to produce the corduroy that so many skiers and snowboarders crave every morning.
There are challenges of being a snow groomer and balancing work and life. Work for a snow groomer is generally done overnight. For snow groomers with children and a spouse, that can be difficult. Joyner acknowledges the difficulties of managing demanding shifts alongside family responsibilities. “The biggest challenge is I don’t spend as much time with my kids as I want to,” Joyner said. The ski season at Liberty is roughly three months out of the year, and Joyner said that there’s still plenty of time left in the year to make up for that.
One challenge that the snow groomers do not have to deal with is working with the snowmaking team. As simple as it may seem, the groomers and the snowmakers really need to be dialed in together and on the same page to make the terrain and slopes the best they can. Some mountain teams do not work well with others, but this is not the case at Liberty Mountain, according to Joyner. The two teams talk to one another and plan out where it is needed, and also, where there may be too much snow. “Working with snowmaking makes that work, because we can say we need snow here, and we don’t need it there. And they’re on it,” Joyner said. Working together as a team to produce the best results is the ultimate goal. “Everybody understands that, and when you get to learn how to do that, it just makes it that much more fun for everyone,” Joyner added.
After my five-hour “shift” with Joyner, I had so much more insight and knowledge into what it takes to get the slopes ready for each day. It’s dedication, pride, and sacrifice on behalf of the snow groomers to make that happen on a daily and seasonal basis. There are pros and cons of being a snow groomer, but every job has those as well. He touches on mogul building (fun but hard to maintain), great views, and sunrises, at cities like Gettysburg and Baltimore on clear days. Joyner praises Liberty’s family vibe, long-tenured staff, open communication, and pride in catering to beginners with perfect conditions. Overall, the passion for his job is what keeps Joyner in the snowcat grooming the mountain year after year. The “art form” of grooming is technical, creative, solitary, but team-oriented, which is why he loves it after 21 years at Liberty Mountain.
Seeing skiers, snowboarders, and guests being fully satisfied on the slopes makes his job worth all the effort for Joyner. I’ll come back here at lunch and stand at the bottom of the slopes and watch people go down the hill,” Joyner said. ” You see the smiles, and everybody’s happy and excited… Man, that’s freaking awesome, and I say to myself I played a part in a good day.”
