Pinedale will be hosting their sixth annual Winter Carnival this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Feb 13, 14. Program Manager at Main Street Pinedale, Samantha Harnack, described the event this week in an interview with SVI media.
“This will be our sixth annual event from Mainstreet Pinedale. We got kind of hammered with snow last week, so it’s going to make a heck of a ski next weekend.”
Harnack is referring to one of the main events, skijoring, an activity which developed in Norwegian countries where skiers are towed behind animals. She explained, “So skijoring can be done in a couple of different ways. One way is to be pulled behind dogs. We don’t do that here because you know, as everyone knows, we’re very Western.”
This weekend’s event features a horse rider, towing a skier who has to negotiate jumps, stay within gates, grab rings, and do it all as quickly as possible. Scores are determined by a combination of performance on all those aspects of the race. Prizes include cash and real silver buckles.
Another lively event this weekend at PInedale’s sledding hill will be cardboard box racing. Contestants can make any type of “craft” from cardboard, providing they only use cardboard and tape. “No metal or special stuff,” according to Harnack. “We do suggest contestants wear helmets, since sometimes there is a wreck or two.”
Last year no fewer than four “crafts” exploded, some on the last turn, so contestants had to run back and collect pieces of their sled since all contestants and all parts of the sled must cross the finish line to win. Harnack commented, “It’s fun. I mean it’s a real hoot.”
While the indoor events are canceled for this year due to COVID concerns, the carnival also features snow sculpting, which will take place Wednesday and a kids’ snowmobile race for 120cc machines right after the skijoring on both days hosted by the Snow Explorers group. Harnack enthused, “It’ll be pretty great.”
Skijoring events will start both Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. behind the Hampton Inn on Bloomfield Road. The Cardboard Classic will begin at 2 p.m. at the Burzlander sledding hill.
The event costs $5 per person and also features a raffle of a donated shed by Montana Shed Center. All proceeds from the two-day event go to the beautification and support of downtown Pinedale.
For further details, got to mainstreetpinedale.com
