Even for the most daring and extreme skiers, there’s something special about cruising down a freshly groomed trail on a bluebird day. While CBMR is renowned for its legendary steeps, it’s rare to find a guest, regardless of age, ability, or terrain preference, who doesn’t enjoy a few quality laps on fresh corduroy.
From the top of the Silver Queen Express to the resort’s base area, CBMR offers roughly 500 acres of groomed terrain, about one-third of its total skiable acreage. This groomed terrain is a major asset, especially given the resort’s expansive off-piste zones. However, maintaining it requires significant effort from the mountain operations team, particularly the groomers.
For Senior Manager of Mountain Operations Tucker Roberts, his work to keep CBMR’s groomed trails in excellent condition is a labor of love that has persisted for nearly three decades.
His journey in the ski industry began at Cranor Hill Ski Area, where he wore many hats in a single season, serving as a lift operator, concessions manager, lift ticket salesperson, and groomer. His grooming “fleet” consisted of just one machine: a 1976 Thiokol 2100C, which today would be considered more of an antique than a grooming vehicle. From those modest beginnings at Cranor, he went on to build a career at CBMR, turning his passion into a profession.
“I got the taste for mountain operations at Cranor and then started making snow and fell in love with the snowmaking process at Crested Butte,” Tucker said. “I am in love with the job. There’s nothing else like it in the world.”
It’s easy to assume that CBMR’s mountain operations team only works during the ski season, but the responsibilities Tucker and his team oversee extend well beyond the resort’s operating months.
Long before skiers and riders return to the resort each season, the team is already hard at work preparing for grooming to begin as soon as conditions allow. During the summer months, this includes felling trees, clearing vegetation, and opening up alleyways to ensure the terrain is in groomable condition. In addition, Tucker and his crew visit various locations around the mountain to maintain winch cat pick points and secure anchors, ensuring they remain in place and aren’t lost once snow starts to accumulate.
While trail crew teams manage mountain terrain, mechanics in the vehicle maintenance shop focus on keeping CBMR’s fleet of six snowcats in peak condition. From track work and idler wheel bearing replacements to testing hydraulic systems, snowcat maintenance requires a high level of specialized expertise rarely found outside the ski industry.
At the same time as snowcats are being primed for their winter responsibilities, a team of approximately 20 groomers are making their way back to the mountain in early to mid-October to complete their annual trainings and assist with the snowmaking process.
“Fifty percent or more of our groomers are also snowmakers,” Tucker said. “They’ll make snow during the earlier part of the season, and as they finish with snowmaking, they’ll shift their responsibilities from making snow to grooming it. A lot of the groomers are seeing the product from start to finish. It’s really cool.”
Once there's enough snow on the ground, several weeks before the resort opens, the team begins grooming the lower mountain zones. As more snow accumulates throughout the season, they gradually expand to other areas, adding more terrain to their nightly grooming routes until the entire grooming footprint is covered. This process continues throughout the season, ensuring that fresh corduroy appears like clockwork on key areas of the mountain every morning. This work takes deep expertise and an intimate knowledge of CBMR’s terrain that can only be gained through many seasons of experience.
“To make a snowcat move is decently simple. To groom terrain with a snowcat and create a skiable surface takes a lot of work and a lot of practice,” Tucker said. “It takes many, many years to become a good groomer.”
Luckily, CBMR’s snowcat operators are some of the most dedicated employees on the mountain and are excited to fine tune their craft every season.
“Our crew members have a minimum experience of five years and a maximum experience of almost 30 years with a lot of guys pushing the 25-year mark,” Tucker said of his team. “We have a ton of really talented operators on the crew, and they just keep coming back.”
Being a snowcat operator is demanding work, but the satisfaction that comes from a job well done runs deep among the team. CBMR routinely ranks in the top three out of 42 Vail Resorts-owned mountains when it comes to grooming-related guest satisfaction, a testament to the care and dedication this team puts into their daily efforts.
“The team takes great pride in their work, and it shows,” Tucker shared.
While most guests never see the grooming process in action, it’s a vital part of the resort’s operation, and a dedicated effort that begins long before the resort opens and persists well-past its closure. Thanks to the work this team puts in year-round, they’re able to ensure a smooth ski for all who venture out, from the steepest pitches of International to the mellow terrain of Little Hill.
From the top of the Silver Queen Express to the resort’s base area, CBMR offers roughly 500 acres of groomed terrain, about one-third of its total skiable acreage. This groomed terrain is a major asset, especially given the resort’s expansive off-piste zones. However, maintaining it requires significant effort from the mountain operations team, particularly the groomers.
For Senior Manager of Mountain Operations Tucker Roberts, his work to keep CBMR’s groomed trails in excellent condition is a labor of love that has persisted for nearly three decades.
His journey in the ski industry began at Cranor Hill Ski Area, where he wore many hats in a single season, serving as a lift operator, concessions manager, lift ticket salesperson, and groomer. His grooming “fleet” consisted of just one machine: a 1976 Thiokol 2100C, which today would be considered more of an antique than a grooming vehicle. From those modest beginnings at Cranor, he went on to build a career at CBMR, turning his passion into a profession.
“I got the taste for mountain operations at Cranor and then started making snow and fell in love with the snowmaking process at Crested Butte,” Tucker said. “I am in love with the job. There’s nothing else like it in the world.”
It’s easy to assume that CBMR’s mountain operations team only works during the ski season, but the responsibilities Tucker and his team oversee extend well beyond the resort’s operating months.
Long before skiers and riders return to the resort each season, the team is already hard at work preparing for grooming to begin as soon as conditions allow. During the summer months, this includes felling trees, clearing vegetation, and opening up alleyways to ensure the terrain is in groomable condition. In addition, Tucker and his crew visit various locations around the mountain to maintain winch cat pick points and secure anchors, ensuring they remain in place and aren’t lost once snow starts to accumulate.
While trail crew teams manage mountain terrain, mechanics in the vehicle maintenance shop focus on keeping CBMR’s fleet of six snowcats in peak condition. From track work and idler wheel bearing replacements to testing hydraulic systems, snowcat maintenance requires a high level of specialized expertise rarely found outside the ski industry.
At the same time as snowcats are being primed for their winter responsibilities, a team of approximately 20 groomers are making their way back to the mountain in early to mid-October to complete their annual trainings and assist with the snowmaking process.
“Fifty percent or more of our groomers are also snowmakers,” Tucker said. “They’ll make snow during the earlier part of the season, and as they finish with snowmaking, they’ll shift their responsibilities from making snow to grooming it. A lot of the groomers are seeing the product from start to finish. It’s really cool.”
Once there's enough snow on the ground, several weeks before the resort opens, the team begins grooming the lower mountain zones. As more snow accumulates throughout the season, they gradually expand to other areas, adding more terrain to their nightly grooming routes until the entire grooming footprint is covered. This process continues throughout the season, ensuring that fresh corduroy appears like clockwork on key areas of the mountain every morning. This work takes deep expertise and an intimate knowledge of CBMR’s terrain that can only be gained through many seasons of experience.
“To make a snowcat move is decently simple. To groom terrain with a snowcat and create a skiable surface takes a lot of work and a lot of practice,” Tucker said. “It takes many, many years to become a good groomer.”
Luckily, CBMR’s snowcat operators are some of the most dedicated employees on the mountain and are excited to fine tune their craft every season.
“Our crew members have a minimum experience of five years and a maximum experience of almost 30 years with a lot of guys pushing the 25-year mark,” Tucker said of his team. “We have a ton of really talented operators on the crew, and they just keep coming back.”
Being a snowcat operator is demanding work, but the satisfaction that comes from a job well done runs deep among the team. CBMR routinely ranks in the top three out of 42 Vail Resorts-owned mountains when it comes to grooming-related guest satisfaction, a testament to the care and dedication this team puts into their daily efforts.
“The team takes great pride in their work, and it shows,” Tucker shared.
While most guests never see the grooming process in action, it’s a vital part of the resort’s operation, and a dedicated effort that begins long before the resort opens and persists well-past its closure. Thanks to the work this team puts in year-round, they’re able to ensure a smooth ski for all who venture out, from the steepest pitches of International to the mellow terrain of Little Hill.