Snowmobiles outnumbered cars
at the festival in
Rangeley on Saturday.
Snodeo 2004 might be best described as the biggest winter weekend in Rangeley with an anticipated 5,000 snowmobilers visiting the area over the three-day event. Snodeo, which filled area motels and restaurants to capacity Saturday, resulted in snowmobiles out-numbering vehicles despite sub-zero temperatures all day.
For the first time, the Snodeo headquarters was at the Rangeley Inn. The inn served as a first stop for area visitors to get maps, schedules and to register for the Poker Run and Radar Run races.
Outdoor Snodeo attractions included snowmobile dealer displays, free demonstration rides on new snowmobiles and a collection of antique snowmobiles.
Al Whitford of Rangeley, who hopes to open an antique snowmobile museum, brought out a variety of snowmobiles including his 1952 Bombardier (Ski-Doo), which can easily travel through three feet of snow. It is school bus yellow and can seat 12 passengers. This model, formerly used to transport school children in rural areas, is now used to give winter tours in Yellowstone, according to Whitford. “Old snowmobiles are more fun,” said Frank Lowell of Newry, who brought his 1965 Polaris Snow-traveler, among other vintage models, to be displayed.
Rod Davis, a former Mainer, was on hand at the Rangeley Inn to sign copies of his novel, River of Fear, Encounters. The novel takes place in the Rangeley Lakes region and references the ITS Trail 89, Big and Little Kennebago, Black Nubble and Bigelow Mountain, according to Davis. It was published last fall by Morningstar Communications and is the first of a planned trilogy.
Davis previously lived in Cape Elizabeth and owned a camp in Langtown. He now lives in Las Vegas, Nev., and hopes to split his time “between Maine and the west,” he said.
Snodeo 2004 has become very family-friendly with events like Friday’s Family Ride in Oquossoc, children’s activities at the Rangeley Inn, turkey bowling with the Rangeley Boy Scouts and a snowmobile parade down Main Street. The evening was filled with fireworks display after the parade, live bands and dinner & drink specials at all the area establishments.
The Snodeo is organized by the Rangeley Lakes Region Snowmobile Club and the Poker Run and Radar Run benefit the club’s trail fund. The Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club (RLSC) has the largest club membership in Maine with more than 350 members, according to RLSC President, Clark Allen. The RLSC maintains and grooms more than 150 miles of trails each winter with the help of volunteers like Allen.
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