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![CORRECTION - Mikaela Shiffrin of the US poses with a white reindeer named "Mikaela" she was given after winning the Ladies' FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup slalom race in Levi Kittilä, Finland on November 12, 2016. / AFP / Lehtikuva / Martti Kainulainen / Finland OUT / The erroneous mention appearing in the metadata of this photo by Martti Kainulainen has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Mikaela Shiffrin of the US poses with a white reindeer named "Mikaela" she was given after winning the Ladies' FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup slalom race in Levi Kittilä, Finland on November 12, 2016. ] instead of [Mikaela Shiffrin of the US jokes with Santa Claus reindeer after winning the Ladies' FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup slalom race in Levi Kittilä, Finland on November 12, 2016.]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo credit should read MARTTI KAINULAINEN/AFP/Getty Images)](http://i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/161114123535-mikaela-shiffrin-reindeer-small-169.jpg)
![CORRECTION - Mikaela Shiffrin of the US poses with a white reindeer named "Mikaela" she was given after winning the Ladies' FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup slalom race in Levi Kittilä, Finland on November 12, 2016. / AFP / Lehtikuva / Martti Kainulainen / Finland OUT / The erroneous mention appearing in the metadata of this photo by Martti Kainulainen has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Mikaela Shiffrin of the US poses with a white reindeer named "Mikaela" she was given after winning the Ladies' FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup slalom race in Levi Kittilä, Finland on November 12, 2016. ] instead of [Mikaela Shiffrin of the US jokes with Santa Claus reindeer after winning the Ladies' FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup slalom race in Levi Kittilä, Finland on November 12, 2016.]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo credit should read MARTTI KAINULAINEN/AFP/Getty Images)](http://webarchive.archive.unhcr.org/20170808064102im_///i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/161114123535-mikaela-shiffrin-reindeer-large-169.jpg)
Story highlights
- Snowcats cost up to $400,000
- Drivers keep piste in top condition
(CNN)Ever looked down and wondered how the mountain snow beneath you became so smooth, compact and perfect for skiing?
Take a bow, snowcat operator.
For every hour a resort is open to recreational skiers, snowcat drivers spend two ensuring the piste is in perfect condition.
Travis Benson and his colleagues in Aspen prepare over 350 acres of skiing area, working a swing shift from 3.30 p.m. that lasts all through the night until 9 a.m.
Snow grooming can entail moving, rototilling -- breaking it up -- and compacting the powder.
After mastering the "very reactive" blade, tiller and maneuvering of the snowcat, the budding driver is "ready to lay down some perfect corduroy" -- a slick, corrugated surface ideal for skiers.
Some might consider it rather lonely work. Not Benson.
"The nights are peaceful," Benson, who offers snowcat driving lessons to guests of luxury hotel The Little Nell, told CNN. "It's beautiful; the stars are out, there's the moon. It's beautiful."
The latest models cost as much as $400,000 but Benson finds many of the best operators now are "kids that grew up on video games."
Watch CNN Alpine Edge's Christina Macfarlane try her hand at snowcat driving in the video above.
