By Lindy J. Gwinn, Mountain Valley News staff
Locals belonging to the Delta SnoKrusers Snowmobile Club have been planning and organizing the activities for the 2012 Colorado Snowmobile Association Convention for months. The event was held in Cedaredge over the weekend of Jan. 28.
“This is a great event not only for us to enjoy our clubs, but to get together with old friends and family who share our snowmobiling passion,” aid Janelle Kukook from Creede.
The SnoKrusers certainly had their work cut out for them. Being responsible for organizing the rides, lining up the entertainment and securing facilities to host their events in was no small task.
Early on, they were concerned over the trail grooming equipment as they were the recipients of a state grant that allowed them the ability to purchase a new grooming machine. The group ordered their new groomer and it has been ready for several weeks for them to pick up. There was just one small thing holding them back: The state has not yet released the check for the grant funding.
The other concern was no snow. Up until just days prior to the event, there was not enough snow on the ground for the snowmobiles to run. Mother Nature took over and dropped several feet of snow on Grand Mesa just in time.
The group arranged a to lease the groomer so that they had it for the event, the groomer was delivered mid-week, just prior to the convention.
Snowmobile enthusiasts from all over Colorado flocked to Cedaredge for the weekend, filling up motel rooms and mountain lodging rooms on Grand Mesa.
Organized rides were led by the SnoKrusers, and evening events included a social hour and dinner, complete with a band at Alexander Lodge and a banquet and dance at the Cedaredge Community Center. Roscoe’s Restaurant at Thunder Mountain Lodge provided the food for the banquet held on Saturday night.
After dinner and entertainment at Alexander Lodge, the group lit a bonfire at Hotel Twin Lake and completed the day with many of the attendees taking a night ride back to the round corrals located on Surface Creek Road.
Several of the snowmobile convention attendees popped across the hill to watch the sled dog races while they were here, and were treated to the local restaurants and outdoor opportunities in the area.
Katie Himes, president of the SnoKruzers said, “We had a great participation in the convention this year, and it was good to see so many of our friends from other clubs join in this weekend.”
