Support snow-biking, eat some chili, and shoot a BB gun during the second annual Groomer Party scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Boggy Draw parking lot.
The Southwest Colorado Cycling Association puts on the event to benefit the many volunteers who regularly groom the 14 miles of snow-biking trails at Boggy Draw. Donations are welcome.
“The Groom Team is very dedicated and spend a lot of hours using their own, custom-made grooming equipment to keep the trails in great shape,” said organizer Ken Fagerlin.
A group ride begins at 8:30 a.m. then a variety of events and contests will take place in the parking lot.
There will be free chili, beer, root beer, a bonfire, games, and a raffle and prize giveaway.
The most popular event is the Time Trial/BB Gun Shoot, Fagerlin said. Contestants ride a short out and back on a seatless single speed fat bike, then dismount and attempt to shoot cans with a BB gun. Each can hit knocks off 10 seconds of their ride time.
“It’s hysterical. Your heart is pounding, and you have to compose yourself to shoot while everyone is heckling and cheering,” Fagerlin said.
There will be a wheelie contest, and the Tokyo Drift competition, where riders see who can slide out their back tire the farthest.
Snow-biking has taken off in the past few years. The fat-tire mountain bikes with low pressure tires are designed to float over snow, and perform very well on groomed trails.
Last year, the San Juan National Forest and bike club established 14 miles of looping trails for snow-biking off of the Boggy Road. Bike club volunteers with snowmobiles and custom-made grooming equipment regularly groom the route for the fat-tire bikes, but they are open to snowshoers and skiers as well.
“It’s interesting to see the creative groomer designs these guys come up with different rollers and weights to lay down that perfect corduroy surface,” Fagerlin said.
Last year, the event raised $1,000 which helped cover fuel costs and grooming equipment. Top groomers Eric Hogue and his son, Grayson, have logged 65 grooming hours. Jimbo Fairley has put in 50 hours so far this year.
“It is a casual meet and greet with a lot of silly games,” Fagerlin said. “It’s a chance for newcomers to try out the sport and to meet riding partners.”
A limited amount of demo fat-tire bikes will be available at the event. To sign up, call Ken at (970) 749-6180.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com