RANGELEY – Wednesday was a fairly quiet in Rangeley. Call it the calm before the storm.

This weekend, the town of just over 1,000 residents, will more than quadruple in size as it plays host to one of the largest snowmobile festivals in New England.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 people are expected.

Police Chief Phil Weymouth says he is preparing for it to be the biggest Snodeo ever.

“Who else has snow?” he asked.

Though it may be the largest in 22 years, it won’t be close to being the rowdiest, the chief predicted on Wednesday. He said the event has started to cater more toward families. He called that a good thing.

Nevertheless, the department will increase its visibility, which will, he hopes, deter illegal activity. Weymouth opted to have one officer patrolling a less-than-one-mile strip of Main Street. Another officer will be on OUI detail, stopping motorists or pedestrians who appear to be intoxicated.

State Police and the county sheriff’s department will assist with area law enforcement.

Meanwhile, the Maine Warden’s Service will be patrolling trails, making sure riders are using prudent speed and staying off dangerous patches of ice.

While Snodeo means scheduling extra law enforcement to keep the region safe, it also means hiring extra help to keep customers happy at downtown shops, restaurants and bars.

With last year’s closing of longtime headquarters The People’s Choice restaurant, it will be the first Snodeo based out of the Rangeley Inn, a smaller and more upscale hotel featuring a dining room, pub with stone fireplaces and a large banquet hall.

The inn should contribute to the family atmosphere of the event, Weymouth said.

All in all, Snodeo means big bucks for the Rangeley region.

Snowmobiling pumps more than $5 million into the area’s economy annually, said Evelyn McAllister. She’s the director of the region’s Chamber of Commerce.

The event really kicks off the sledding season in the region, she said, and showcases trails and businesses, a combination that usually draws people back to the Rangeley area for another ride.

“People are anxious for winter to get going,” she said, “and this is it.

The region’s hotels, motels, inns and B&Bs can accommodate about 2,300 people. Most of those beds are booked, McAllister said Wednesday, but there are still some places left.

Gail Gavigan, secretary/treasure of the Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club, the largest snowmobile club in the state and Snodeo host, says Rangeley has been lucky when it comes to trail conditions on the more than 150 miles of groomed trails the club maintains.

While the two major snowstorms that dumped 5 feet and 18 inches, respectively, were followed by rain, Rangeley didn’t get the deluge washing over other areas of Maine. Frosty weather over the past few weeks has kept snow in place. Gavigan added there have been flurries in town nearly every day.

“Our trails, I would say, are in very good to excellent condition. We’re lucky,” she said.

Arctic temperatures also mean the lakes are frozen, but caution is always advised. A pressure ridge in Hunter Cove extends across Rangeley Lake from the Rangeley Lake Resort to the Rangeley Manor, said Weymouth.

“It’s such a boost to the businesses in town. It’s their biggest winter weekend,” Gavigan said. “People come here in droves, and they come to spend money and have fun.”

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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