Snowmobile rally hurt by extreme cold and a lack of snow
MAPLETON, N.D. - A snowmobile rally here was hindered by bitter temperatures and lack of snow.
“It's late January, and it's North Dakota,” said Mapleton SnowJam organizer Char Gust. “Who would guess?”
In its inaugural 2006 edition, the event sponsored by Rural Cass Snowmobile Club, lured nearly 600 riders to Mapleton.
It was a 36-degree day, with a snow cover to spare. This time, less than 50 signed up.
But rather than hanging their heads and whining about global warming, participants stayed upbeat.
Some from as far away as Williston, didn't let the snow shortage stop them from enjoying their hobby.
Some brought their 1980 and older snowmobiles for a vintage display in the parking lot of Hagge's Bar and Grill, the event headquarters.
Owners showed off 17 machines, sporting the boxier shapes of an earlier era. Nearby, some got to test-drive new models by Yamaha and Ski-Doo.
Worst hit by the weather was last year's highlight, the 12-mile trail ride to neighboring Davenport.
The 23-degree-below wind chill didn't help.
Neither did the skimpy snow cover, barely the 4-inch state minimum for opening the trail.
But a group of about two dozen riders, on both vintage and late-model snowmobiles, took off around 2 p.m.
As their owners worked to start them, the vintage machines, including a 1966 Johnson Skee-Horse, roared and spewed smoke that the freezing gust quickly caught and scattered.
“Coming back north against the wind, it's going to be cold,” predicted Greg Strommen, of Kindred, snug in an ear-flap cap and multilayer riding jacket.
The rest of the event's participants watched the takeoff from the bar's warm interior.
“We could have used more snow, but it's still fun,” said Jeff Walters of West Fargo. “Beats the heck out of staying at home.”