MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Winter activities are finally seeing some relief with the recent snow, but for some, it’s not just snowfall on the list. The Marquette Mountain grooming team is hard at work, running snowcats up and down the runs to get ready for this Saturday’s opening day.
“This is one of our groomers this is one of our cats and Dillon our snow surface manager has been out pushing snow on cliffs getting ready cause we’re getting ready to open on Saturday,” commented Marquette Mountain Manager Kaet Johnson.
(Pictured below) It’s a 2019 Prenoth Bison, a 10-ton grooming machine running up and down the mountain with Dillon Stasevich the Snow Surface Manager, a lifelong lover of the backcountry. “My dad was a big influence on me he wanted me to learn to ski and snowboard as a kid and we would watch ski and snowboard movies together,” commented Stasevich.
Dillon said the “Snowcats”, as they’re called, rely heavily on the hydraulic power and treads that carry them up and down the mountain. “This is your set throttle and these are all your light controls, front-facing lights forward-facing lights…you’re looking to cover the grass and the dirt and the rocks,” continued Stasevich.
“Another cat operator pushed out a rocket last night Dillon is pushing cliffs out today and then we’ll just keep adding snow to it until we open,” continued Johnson.
After grooming larger peaks in Colorado, he moved back to the UP for his family and he said even though jobs like driving the cat can be overlooked, it’s an important step in the process of getting the mountain prepared for the season. “Watching snow curl off the blade is a very important part of the job,” continued Stasevich.
Accompanied by the snow guns and the grooming team, Stasevich wants to teach the skills to the next generation. “Let them realize that this is a real career and that they can do whatever they dream of whether that’s move out west or work at a local ski hill in the midwest. I think its fun to teach people how to do his,” continued Stasevich.
According to Marquette Mountain, these select runs will be prepared for opening day and available throughout the week:
January 6th: Lift 2 & Tyro: 10 AM-8 PM — Terrain: Tyro, Logan’s, Rocket, Cliffs
January 7th: Lift 2 & Tyro: 9 AM-5 PM — Terrain: Tyro, Logan’s, Rocket, Cliffs
January 8th: Lift 2 & Tyro: 12 PM-5 PM — Terrain: Tyro, Logan’s, Rocket, Cliffs
January 9th: Lift 1 & 2 & Tyro: 10 AM-8 PM — Terrain: Tyro, Logan’s, Rocket, Cliffs
January 10th-12th: Lift 2 & Tyro: 12 PM-8 PM — Terrain: Tyro, Logan’s, Rocket, Cliffs
