Grooming Program

TART Trails grooms the Vasa Pathway and the Leelanau Trail for cross-country skiing each winter. All trails are groomed for classic and skate skiing. TART Trails budgets about $40,000 each year to groom these trails and funding comes from Grooming Badge donations, Vasa K sponsors, fee pipes located at trailheads, and the Michigan DNR.

The Vasa Pathway is groomed as necessary from December 1st to March 15th each year through an agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The Leelanau Trail is groomed at least once a week when conditions allow (usually Fridays) using a snowmobile with an attachment called a Ginzu. The trail is groomed from 4th Street in Suttons Bay to Cherry Bend Road.

The grooming crew consists of Paul Tata, Glen Rauth, Roger Raehl, Jim Dombrowski, Gary Joslin and Bill Heitman. They have a variety of equipment available to help create an excellent skiing surface in a variety of conditions, including an LMC Snowcat and snowmobiles with YTS Ginzu Groomers.