Once again members and friends of the Montana Nightriders Snowmobile Club revved up their engines for the 30th annual $1,000 Poker Ride held on Jan. 27. This year 353 riders from all over the Northwest gathered at the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar in Haugan to participate in the 50 mile ride located at exit 16 off I-90.

The riders went to several places for their next “draw” of the hand from Taft to Saltese and up to Lookout Pass. The theme this year was cartoon characters and there was plenty of entertainment both on and off the course. There was a costume contest, raffle, Friday night bon fire, and cash payouts along the way.

Poker Ride Chair, Kristin Day, said they had about 30 volunteer this year and money raised is used for grooming and maintaining trails. Also, 50 cents for each hand is also donated to a charity which members vote on to choose.

The Montana Nightriders is a non-profit snowmobile club located in Haugan. In addition to enjoying the sport of riding along with other enthusiasts, they operate and service their own groomers, and maintain the Taft Warming Shelter.

As part of their mission the group encourages safe and responsible snowmobiling and promotes keeping public land accessible for everyone. Information about the club and be found on their website and Facebook page.