Blair the operator sounds like a man who knows his business. Exactly who you would want running one of these expensive machines.

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

Absolutely. There’s no one better than him on the mountain.

@christ6991

4 жыл бұрын

@@DownieLive 🥰

Props to the driver/operator! The man is a true professional. I’m sure he is underpaid and undervalued.

@sydneyshinshi

5 жыл бұрын

He might be valued and get a fair wage for his work also.

@johnmacward

5 жыл бұрын

+Matt Heaton, so you’re an underpaid and undervalued cat driver? Well played man, well played...

@mattiik

5 жыл бұрын

I would guess that groomer operator isn't doing it for the money

@joeasimoneau

5 жыл бұрын

Underpaid for 30 years? That would be his fault alone ...

@spenserwilliams9167

5 жыл бұрын

He obviously gets paid in joints lmfao🤣🤣🤣

Thanks for the tour Blair and Downie! Many turns!

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

And many turns to you too, Brian.

Thx for the behind the scenes look! Blair is so knowledgeable! Really was a great to watch someone who has passion for what they do!

The big red button ... of course one has to ask what it does! Blair should've said, "Oh, yeah, that's your *Passenger Eject* button." (to get reactions from people, LOL)

Now I know where Neil Young spends his winter months! Seriously though, these Cats are awesome machines. I saw them from a distance years ago at Whistler, and I got to do a ride along in a regular groomer once here in Ontario at Blue Mountain, but that was an epic video. Thanks to you Fernie!

Sick vid! Always wanted to know about those groomers. Plus that operator is quite a character! He’s got some serious chops going on!

Give this video an award. Mike, you're such a natural. I hope some cable show picks you up, if that's what you want. That driver really knows his stuff. Great video.

Blair is REALLY good at explaining the gear and processes.

Pretty cool, makes me want to get the Lifty Special!

@chikendagr8994

4 жыл бұрын

snowcat vlogs coming soon?

Awesome videos. Its always interesting to see the behind-the-scenes of how a ski resort works. It also makes you whine less about costly lift tickets. :)

Awesome, thx for the behind the scenes look!

This reminds me of climbing dunes with a jeep at silver lake lol (other end of the climate spectrum) that angle always feels like you're gonna flip backward lol great vid!

First class operator! I always thank them for a great day!!

Awesome video mate! Love it.

does anyone else just want to sit down with that man and have him talk about his life and wisdom to you?

I miss flying down North Ridge at dawn to get the haulback running. Best job I ever had.

Always enjoy watching your videos I learn so much and I get travel through you😊

They had the best dude ever for this video what a good guy knowing his job and history and he is ment to be on camera guy did awesome presentations

Awesome piece of equipment! Great view of the interior cab. I can now make it for my RC groomer!

Very interesting all the tech that goes into those grooming machines to keep the skiing awesome. The driver really knows his snow too! Thanks for the video!!

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

Jeff, it's my pleasure! Anytime!

Thank's for an awesome Fernie segment .

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

My pleasure man! Stay tuned for some good stuff from Kicking Horse Resort next!

Very interesting. Last time at La Plagne it was always interesting to watch the machines coming out just before dusk to smooth it all out. Such an important job that we can easily forget. By the end of the day skiing can get very bumpy with large mounds of snow building up and some areas forming a depression where people usually turn.

I don't ski but love machines. Awesome machine, great explanation and tour nice presentation well spoken and produced. Thanks!

@DownieLive

4 жыл бұрын

Much appreciated!

Cool video mate, its very good to see behind the scenes and the hard and very skilled work those guys do while we all sleep.

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

David, couldn't agree more. Hope to bringing you some more behind the scenes videos soon.

Awesome video! Pretty sure I just learned everything and more I will ever need to know winches, and I'm glad I did!

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

Hahaha! I bet you didn't even know you wanted to learn about this! My channel is all about teaching people about things they didn't know they wanted to know, but afterwards feel glad you did. So, thanks! Your comment makes me feel like I'm succeeding.

@JakeSteve

6 жыл бұрын

Love it man! Looking forward to the next educational lesson I never knew I wanted! 😁

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

😄 Haha! That's exactly it! The education you didn't know you wanted! I love that.

a man who really know his job! respect

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

Absolutely!

Right On Right ON RIGHT ON! Good ride and great guys! Cool Canada!

I would pay just to ride along with this guy as he's working. What a PRO!

those chops are awesome!!

How cool is this. I worked 2 winters at Monarch Ski Area in Colorado.

What a great job

Very cool dude with a great long career. Keep on the cat.

Love these videos!!

@DownieLive

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks John!

good guy. great snow

Here in Sioux City Iowa we have a tube hill and we use this type of machine to groom the hill it awesome watching it work

Sweet machines. I used to work on those baby's when I ran the maintenance shop at Mt. Shasta skipark.

Wowo 30 years!. I miss my snowcating days.

That was really interesting. I had no idea how complicated the Sno Cat was to operate.

Not shown in video: Blair bagging the pow line & then grooming over the evidence. 😎

This guy is a legend

Know that was friggin cool!! ,thanks for sharing

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

Hey, my pleasure! I've got a few more interesting ones coming up.

Great job, you should do more of these.

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

I do! I have more coming out and I have over 60 videos already made and posted on my channel. Stay tuned for more!

Mike! You cut your hair!! Looking good!! Great video...thanks!

WOW! I ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT THOSE WERE!!!!

thanks Mike

Those chops are freakin epic!!!

Cool video. Thanks

Great video, makes me want to ask for a ride along some time at my local mountain.

I was just there and had the best day ever. I was one of those lifty spescials first down on virgin pow pow. Best place on earth for powder riding plus lots of trees what more could you you ask for.

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

YES! I love those moments!

I love the groomer driver! Seems like a really fucking cool guy :D

Thank you guys good v.

This was an awesome video. I lernt a lot and very well done

@marcusgraham812

5 жыл бұрын

lernt lmao

@greenidguy9292

5 жыл бұрын

Except spelling...

Having driven an old Bombardier down a chute with only the blade chopping off the mogul tops slowing me down, I can appreciate this winch technology. 😂 Cool inside look. 👍👍

@DownieLive

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely

My heart was broken seeing that beautiful run groomed

That was a great video

@DownieLive

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

The groomer needs some grooming.

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

Ha! Yeah, a little I guess 😉

@SegoMan

5 жыл бұрын

Says the man in a heated office, work outside in the winter and you will let it grow too dude.

@frankzeto2210

5 жыл бұрын

@@SegoMan hehehe the man probably has a heated garage for his car .

So cool so so cool

Ahh lifty special!

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

Yeah... but remember, that's a secret 😉

1:00 NEIL YOUNG WORKS AT SKI RESORT !!! Music business is rough on old Rockers

@HeavyDSparks needs this

ahah this dude is rad he reminds me of Rocky Ericson!

Was always interested in this, thanks Downie live for an insightful piece.

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

Hahaha. Really?? You, an Aussie, have always been an interested in winch-Cat Groomers? Hey, glad I could help! Haha! 😝

@Weemancrewie

6 жыл бұрын

Definatley, we don't have any runs long or steep enough in oz.

I worked grooming at killington in the 80s...proto winches were tested and perfected...mounted on the front of a piston bully 270 at first..then turret winches were invented...

Great video 🎖🎖🎖

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I have plenty more behind the scenes from that trip, and lots of newer ones that I think are a little better. Enjoy!

Woo. You’re great!

very cool thank you

@DownieLive

3 жыл бұрын

Very welcome

That was pretty interesting.

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

That’s why I made it! 😆

Cool!

I work at Marmot Basin in Jasper Alberta Canada and it's awesome ski resort in National park and are groomers are team that works hard for skiers. I see this daily

Coolest groomer ever!

Gotta love Fernie. Shout out to the Kodiak Kodiak.

@DownieLive

4 жыл бұрын

Yeahhhhhh!

Blair!....How ya doin? It's Brent....one of your proteges. Man how I miss you guys and Fernie

I don’t like looking at that cable.

very cool dude this dude

@TristImpala

3 жыл бұрын

very much

@DownieLive

3 жыл бұрын

Hey, thanks

I really want to ski Fernie!!

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

Do it!!!!!

what a character!

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

Absolutely. Such a character.

woo very kool ty

That cat driver could not be more Canadian looking.

that was freakin cool looked kinda scary goin down dude !

@TackleTheDog

4 жыл бұрын

Raymond J you think that’s scary? Try going over the Easy Street onto Mouse Trap at Castle. It feels like the cat is gonna slide all the way down 😂

As a former Bombardier operator, we dubbed winch assisted guys a monkey on a string. Still that was a good video. Thanks.

So....how long have you been growing those ham hocks? Well..a I've been actively growing these here hocks for well over 30 years then.

canadians are just great people

This is awesome. I've always wanted to know what all the controls were and how the winch worked. Thanks!

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

Me too! That’s why I did it! My pleasure!

@denmark219

5 жыл бұрын

I always tell people when I retire I'm moving to a ski hill to be a cat driver. Keep up the great work!

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

That’s the dream!

Talk about Chops😲 I wonder if he uses them as a Air break on the mountain

Holy crap!

Neat video and very informative, too! Just curious- how did you get access to the ski patrol and groomers? Do you know someone at the resort and just asked if you could tag along?

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

I emailed their media team and told them what I wanted to do, and got approval and permissions from them.

@henrykvietok

5 жыл бұрын

@@DownieLive Right on!

the man who drove the groomer took me rafting down the elk river!!

@DownieLive

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I heard he does that! How was it? Is it something I should try?

So this is how it'd look like if Donald was a real hard working down to earth man!

Neil Young drives a cat?

@DownieLive

6 жыл бұрын

Hahaha. You’re the second person to comment that same thing!

@spiralforces

5 жыл бұрын

that's hilarious, I operate snowcats and think my boss looks like Neil Young as well! Cheers!

@Jimmyzb36

5 жыл бұрын

just like this loser! Not the driver.

@tomekcz20022

4 жыл бұрын

I thought he looks familiar

dream job

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

Right?!!

Maybe this was covered before, but what’s the machine cost? Would be fun to do a shift writhing him. Wonder if he listens to tunes while he’s working.

Fun fact: one time the cat’s groomer broke down and Blair had to use his beard to groom the slope.

is dave wall still up there??? mono man

So, the guy operating the winch cat is who they based the character from The Night They Saved Christmas off of

Blair looks like the grinch

I had no clue what this vid was about til we were half way thru it.

Imagine that cable snapping mid climb

Cool

Everblades makes heated wiper blades for groomers. Not sure if your wipers ice up at all.

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

I’ll let them know next time I’m up there.

@MrGlad2be

5 жыл бұрын

The wiper arms have hot engine coolant circulating through them.

@DownieLive

5 жыл бұрын

Oh cool. So that’s how they work