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