CANCELLED. Kids Ride!
Dear Kids and Families,
It absolutely breaks my heart to share that we have made the very difficult decision to cancel this year's Kids Ride.
We were so hopeful that we would be able to pull it off this year. Today, our Club President went up to check on the snowpack - and unfortunately, there simply isn't one. The few inches of snow we've been getting overnight and in the early morning have been melting off by the afternoon. In order to protect the road and avoid causing damage, we needed at least 6 inches of solid snow coverage to safely hold the event and to help keep the sleds cool. As of today, there is still pavement showing, and the forecast does not indicate that we will be able to get - or maintain - that necessary 6 inches.
After careful discussion with our President and Vice President, we have decided to roll over all sponsorships and donations to the 2027 Kids Ride. We are incredibly grateful for your support, generosity, and enthusiasm this year.
I was so excited to make this another EPIC day on the snow for our kids and families, and my family and I share in your disappointment. Please know this decision was made with the satety of our kids, the impact on the snowmobiles, and the potential damage to the road in mind.
Thank you for your understanding, continued support, and commitment to making this event so special. We can't wait to come back even stronger in 2027.
With Love & Appreciation,
Audeena & Jeff Smith
Kids Ride Event Chairs
March General Meeting
Join us for our monthly meeting! Social hour begins at 5:30 pm and the general meeting begins at 6:30 pm!
April General Meeting
Join us for our monthly meeting! Social hour begins at 5:30 pm and the general meeting begins at 6:30 pm!
February General Meeting
Join us for our monthly meeting! Social hour begins at 5:30 pm and the general meeting begins at 6:30 pm!
CANCELED- Chinook Pass Family Fun Run!
Greetings fellow sledders,
After a ride at Little Naches yesterday (Saturday), studying the forecast for the next week and taking other things into consideration, the Ski-Benders' board made the difficult decision to cancel the Snow Fest Fun Run scheduled for Saturday, January 31st.
While many of the trails have sufficient snow, a couple of key areas we need are problem areas. The crossover trail from 1900 to 1921 right out of the sno-park has very little snow with dirt showing in several places. Both ends of the crossover are challenging for young or low experience riders. The 1900 in the first mile or so has pavement showing in several locations and these areas will likely grow in size over the next week with high temperatures forecast in the low 40s. We also need to be respectful of our USFS event permit and riding with minimal snow cover with potential damage to the paved road from ski carbides would likely be frowned upon.
The forecast for the next week doesn't offer any hope for improvement. There is only the slightest hint of snow next Thursday evening and even that might be mixed with sleet and rain. Some rain is in the forecast from Wednesday evening to Friday afternoon. As mentioned, daytime highs for the next week are mostly in the low 40s for highs with lows 20s to low 30s overnight. The currently icy trails will likely stay icy and any rain on top will only make them worse.
With these considerations, and then adding 100+ snowmobiles concentrated on these trails, we have made the decision to cancel. But here's the kicker: Right now, Little Naches is a pretty nice place for a family ride. The sno-park is in great shape and not overly icy. The road in has a lot of bare pavement and the icy sections won't knock the suspension out of your truck. R&R Grooming is doing a fantastic job keeping what snow we have in good shape. Trails are groomed to Raven's Roost and two routes to the Government Meadows Cabin.
We are keeping our fingers crossed this is the only event we'll have to cancel this season. We are full steam ahead to the Kids Ride on February 28th... Just keep doing your snow dances!
Matt Mead
Ski-Bender President
Chilly Ride!
Are you ready?! The Ski-Benders' Chilly Ride is Saturday, January 10th, on White Pass. This is the event where you have to test your navigation skills and find us!
This event is open to all snowmobilers, snowbikers and tracked side-by-side riders... as long as your machines have a current snowmobile registration!
The reward is a bowl of homemade chili and a hot dog roasted over our fire. We'll also be serving hot chocolate and the kids can roast some marshmallows. You might find some chips and cookies as well.
Chilly Ride parking... what are your options...
Cold Creek: Plowed and groomed trails out of the sno-park. However, it is going to be a packed house. There were people in it all day today and we believe several are camping. There is a bit of parking in the back lot, but this is also groomer parking so leave room for the groomer! Get here early! Remember, you have to come in from the west end of Tieton Reservoir Rd.
Pine Grass (The Triangle): Get here earlier!
1000 Rd (South Fork Tieton): This will likely be the hidden gem. Probably because it is the farthest to reach since you need to come in from the west. Parking lot is plowed, nobody was in it, and the trails are groomed all the way from the 1000 Rd.
Tieton Airstrip: A decent option! If you are looking for well groomed and marked trails... yeah, not really the right choice. But if you are seeking an easy adventure, this would be my pick. You'll leave the airstrip at the cattle guard and go straight across. Follow the trails up and around and expect a few areas where there is some water running down or across the trail. Not too hard. Make sure you have a snowmobile trail map so you don't miss a turn. We put down a lot of tracks, so you can mostly just follow them. This route will give you about 60 miles for the day and is the closest unload point when coming from Yakima.
To find us, please navigate to these GPS coordinates:
46.576886, -121.284712
Additional Info:
This is a free event.
We'll be serving food 11am to 2pm, or until the last guest leaves. (All items while supplies last!)
The location is off the groomed trail, but this year it is very close. The location can easily be reached by riders of all ages and skill levels.
We'll cook the chili, but cooking the hot dog is on you; hot dog sticks will be provided.
This is a SNOW or SHINE event. We'll be there to serve... we hope you'll brave any weather to join us! (Currently, Saturday's forecast is for cloudy skies with a very slight chance of snow. It looks to be the best day of the week in the mountains!)
Extra navigation help: If you aren't an Avenza Maps (or similar) user, now's your chance! Avenza is free and in your favorite app store. Once downloaded, you'll want to create an account and then you can visit the 'Map Store' and find all the snowmobile trail maps for WA. For instance, search 'Cold Creek Sno-Park' and download it for free. Once the map is active on your phone, click on the icon in the lower left corner and then 'Find by coordinates'. Copy and paste the GPS coordinates posted above. Click 'OK' and the chili feed location will be on your screen. Now click on the pin icon (lower right corner of the map) and name it 'Chilly Ride' (or whatever) and click the green check mark in the upper right corner. As you ride, your current location will be displayed on the map and your goal is to make it to the Chilly Ride pin location. You've got a couple of days to get this done and to be prepared. Easy as pie!
Or... you can also find the location on Google Maps. Enter the GPS coordinates into the search bar and search. It will place a pin on the chili feed location and you can size and print maps to help you navigate.
Questions? Call or text Matt at 509-424-1575.
See you on Saturday! (If you can find us…)
January General Meeting
Join us for our monthly meeting! Social hour begins at 5:30 pm and the general meeting begins at 6:30 pm!
December General Meeting
Join us for our monthly meeting! Social hour begins at 5:30 pm and the general meeting begins at 6:30 pm!
November General Meeting
Join us for our monthly meeting! Social hour begins at 5:30 pm and the general meeting begins at 6:30 pm!
Trunk or Treat!
Join us for FREE Halloween fun & food!
Food served 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
Kids costume contest 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm (prizes for each age group)!
Trunk or Treat 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Win a prize for the best decorated trunk!
There will be cider, chili, hot dogs, hot chocolate, caramel apple slices, a hayride, and a bonfire!
Visit the Nile Women’s club free photo booth. Buy yourself a tasty treat at their bake sale!
Sponsored by: The Chinook Pass Community Association.
October General Meeting
Join us for our monthly meeting! Social hour begins at 5:30 pm and the general meeting begins at 6:30 pm!
September General Meeting
Join us for our monthly meeting! Social hour begins at 5:30 pm and the general meeting begins at 6:30 pm!
Volunteer Party!
This event was created as a way to give a special thanks to those who always make themselves available to help with Ski-Bender events. These are the folks who give up riding or participating in the ‘fun’ so they can make sure all of our events are a success.
But it’s more than that; we also recognize snowmobilers, AND NOT JUST SKI-BENDERS, who spend time clearing trails, hauling wood to warming huts, participating in sno-park cleanups and more.
Volunteers in the snowmobile community never expect anything in return for their hard work and dedication, but the Ski-Benders are offering them an evening of food, music, a refreshing dip in the pool, and a heartfelt THANKS!
Are you a volunteer for the snowmobile community? Don’t miss this event!
See you there!
