Groomer falls through ice

[Lee Borgersen]

Thursday, January 10, 2001908 Volume 19, Issue 1

Groomer falls through ice on East Two River
By Marshall Helmberger

Gary “Curly” Skogman’s Wednesday morning trail grooming run took an unexpected turn when bad ice on the East Two River collapsed, leaving Skogman’s groomer submerged in about five feet of water.
Skogman, who has logged thousands of hours behind the wheel of the groomer in recent years, was unhurt in the accident, but prospects for the groomer— which is owned by the Vermilion Penguins Snowmobile Club— are less certain.

Skogman, with help from club members and Gulbrandson Excavating, worked until nearly midnight to free the groomer engine and drag from the river. The engine is currently being stored at the DNR’s Trails office, in Tower, in hopes that it may be repairable. “It’s going to take a lot of work to get it back in service,” said Skogman. The club does have insurance to cover any losses associated with the incident.

The incident was the latest sign of the poor ice conditions across the area, stemming from the early heavy snows. In the case of the East Two River, suspended ice, which formed during high water levels earlier in the winter, may have been part of the problem, said Skogman.

The loss of the groomer shouldn’t shut down the club’s grooming operations, but it will leave the club without a backup, most likely for the rest of the season. The club currently grooms a large portion of the Iron Ore Trail as well as numerous spurs and lake trails in the Tower-Lake Vermilion area.

[jigglestick]

thanks SMG.
it will be nice to get this winter over and start over again next December.
this year has been a terrible year so far.
I am pleasantly surprised we haven't had more incidents like this.

be safe every body.
the good thing about this year is people are finaly able to sell snowmobiles and snowblowers again......