The Mile-Hi Snowmobile Club of Denver celebrated its 40th anniversary at the Elks Club in Lakewood, CO, Sept. 13.
Nearly 100 members and past members ranging in age from 5 to 90 were in attendance.
There were some interesting stories told at the celebration. Among them was one from a 90-year-old member who snowmobiled on Rabbit Ears Pass last May. Ellen Shackleford, one of the club's founding members, announced her 80th birthday and intends to be active again this year.
The Mile-Hi club also presented the Ironman award in recognition of people who had been members of the club the longest. There was a tie between three people who joined in 1972: Jack Welch, past president of the BlueRibbon Coalition, and Dale and Maggie Anderson.
The club's motto, "Fun for the entire family," is put into action every year as the club has organized rides planned for all levels. There is at least one mid-week ride for powder riders along the Front Range in addition to the club's scheduled weekend rides at various destinations throughout Colorado. There is also a 3-4 day overnight ride-in/ride-out adventure in Colorado's backcountry every year.
One of the club's top priorities is safety. Its safety program includes avalanche awareness classes, backcountry survival, CPR/first aid, map and GPS, a safety class for newbies and youngsters and basic sled preparation. New this year will be sound testing on the club's first test/tune ride in Winter Park. It's being held in cooperation with the Colorado State Parks, in anticipation of next year's new noise regulations.
The club is also active in the summer with ATV activities, trail maintenance and camp outs.
The club's website is linked to the Colorado Snowmobile Association at www.snowmobilecolo.com where anyone can get the latest club information about rides/events and officers' phone numbers. The club meets on the first Wednesday of the month from September through May at the Clements Center in Lakewood, CO.