Where winter starts: Inside Big White’s summer grooming

But that’s where it all begins, and that’s exactly what’s happening on the mountain right now. Long before the snow returns, the grooming team is hard at work, shaping the terrain that sets up the season.

The moment the lifts stop spinning in spring, the mountain operations crew shifts into full-on prep mode. Their job isn’t just about snow anymore — it’s about building a better mountain. That means grading slopes, clearing vegetation, managing water flow and reinforcing infrastructure. It’s gritty, often invisible work. But it’s what makes your winter ride smooth, safe and ready on day one.

Already this summer, the team has put in 16 full days on Blue Ribbon, one of the key runs at Gem Lake. Ribbon was prioritized early because it’s one of the last runs on Gem to be completed and needed focused attention. The crew tackled overgrown grass, bush and scrub — the kind of vegetation that can delay run openings.

“The less vegetation, the less snow gets wasted to fill that area, meaning that we can have a usable surface earlier,” said Darcy Arnold, Chief Operating Officer.

Next on the schedule are Corkscrew and Surprise — two groomed runs that have accumulated enough growth to justify targeted clearing. According to Arnold, there’s no set number of runs scheduled each summer: “As many as the people can do with the time and weather allowing.”

Drainage remains a top priority across all zones. Crews spend considerable time reshaping terrain and building channels to control meltwater and minimize erosion. The result is less maintenance during winter and more reliable snowpack retention.

Gem Lake poses unique challenges for grooming teams. It is steeper on average, requiring the use of winch cats for safe and effective grooming. Despite these challenges, the goal remains consistent.

“Better early-season conditions,” said Arnold.

Much of the summer work also doubles as fire mitigation.

“All runs are fire breaks. Groomed runs will be better fire breaks,” Arnold noted, underscoring the dual value of this maintenance.

When it comes to budget, summer grooming doesn’t directly impact winter operations financially — but its indirect effects on guest experience are undeniable.

The grooming crew’s objectives remain consistent year to year: remove danger trees near lift lines, tackle as many runs as possible and make early-season riding better. It’s a gritty, largely unseen effort that forms the bedrock of every great run come winter.

The skiers and riders who experience Big White’s groomers come Opening Day in November, may never think about the sweat that went into those runs in June. But make no mistake — the ride starts now.