Making a good snow pack

[NB axemen]

Wondering how you guys make a good snow pack/groomed trail when going through the snow with horses?
I know some haul chains behind or squared timber. what works what doesn’t?

thanks for the input

[Rick Alger]

The main trick is to get out right after a storm and make at least a few passes. It doesn’t take many trips pulling logs to pack fresh snow.

If I’m not pulling logs but need to keep the trail open, I pull three 6 foot bolts crossways. I Baltimore hitch (braid) each side with a long chain and hook each chain to grab hooks on the outer edges of my forecart. Usually this contraption rides the snow like a chain harrow and it knocks the fluff down quickly.

If one side of the pack builds up unevenly from drifts or whatever, I lengthen one chain so the rig shears like a plow.

Good luck.

[NB axemen]

went out yesterday in a new trail hauled a 6×6 behind the cart and it seemed to make a good pack.
well see how good it freezes.
there is 1 spot that I didn’t venture into, it has probebly 2 foot of water probebly 6 feet wide across the trail and probebly 100 feet long, would this stuff freeze in the winter or is there anything I can do to make it freeze.
I would love to go down that path as I would make for a much longer ride, but don’t want to risk the horses going through the ice and hurting themselves.

[j.l.holt]

I kept a old tractor tire around..Drag it last trip of the day or after a fresh snow. If need be I would boom a log across to give it weight. Leave the log on all winter then in the spring use it to level the trails and landing. And if some one wants to steel it,you are only out a old tire.

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