Pocatello Pathfinders host annual fun run

While today’s hazardous road conditions kept many at home, some snowmobile riders found this to be an opportune moment to hit the trails during this year’s annual Pocatello Pathfinders Fun Run.

The club’s six board members spent months preparing for today’s fun run they said has been a tradition for almost three decades, and they believe this is the perfect event to unite people who have one common interest.

“This brings us together and let’s everybody know – we kind of reassure people that these trails don’t just happen,” club board member Zane Robinson said. “There are people here in the community that get together, put wood in the warming shelters, and we even did maintenance on this cabin.”

However, this year funds are tight, and this small club has been working year-round to maintain the up-keep of these local trails up along Mink Creek Road, including the warming hut riders gathered in before and after today’s event.

Every year riders would head out on the trails, stopping at different checkpoints to participate in games, raffles, and to later come back at the end of the day to swap stories.

But the weather this year brought-out only a bleak number of participants.

“Well as of now, we’ve had 33 that have registered for the run today. We have to put this together months and months in advance and we can’t control the weather,” Robinson said.

This year’s attendance number is down from the estimated 200 who normally fill this warming hut in the past years.

Robinson said the club received a small grant from the state to keep this outdoors community center running, but the upkeep has to be matched by board members at this point.

Knute Hansen is another board member who agrees with Robinson the club needs more members. They both said anyone and everyone is welcome to join.

The board currently meets at 7 P.M. on the first Monday of every month at 726 East Bridger Street.

Follow Kaitlin on Twitter; @KaitlinLoukides