Snow or not, Cabin Fever Days will go on, Ben Shafer of the Cabin Fever Days committee said Thursday.  

Organizers are moving forward despite the lack of snow in Martin City for the famous bar stool ski races which draw thousands of spectators as racers cruise in their homemade sleds down Sugar Hill. The unusually warm and dry January and beginning of February has meant little or no snow. December was very wet, but most of the precipitation at low elevations fell as rain.  

“We’re sticking to it and giving people the best show we can,” Shafer said.  

There’s still hope, of course. Shafer said they’d realistically need about 6 inches of snow by late next week to put on the races. The National Weather Service is calling for a pattern change next week and snow Monday, but no major storms as of yet.  

Forty-five sleds have signed up to race.  

There’s still a host of events on tap, including an arm-wrestling tournament, snowshoe softball, Roshambo, kids 3-legged race, numerous live bands at local bars, a mountain man competition and other surprise events Shafer couldn’t reveal just yet.  

There will also be a free shuttle to get folks to and from various events in the Canyon communities.  

The entire event was canceled just once in its 47-year history, when the pandemic hit in 2021. The bar stool races were moved to a different street in Martin City one time years ago, but the event wasn’t canceled.  

This is the first time the lack of snow has been a problem. Shafer said they considered hauling snow in, but it takes about 40 dump truck loads to safely put a base on Sugar Hill, and with the lack of snow regionwide, there simply isn’t any close enough to make it economically feasible. They also considered snow machines, but this time of year, ski resorts are using their snow machines to keep their own slopes covered.  

So there is just one alternative.  

“Pray for snow,” Shafer said.  

The event, while helping people shake the winter blues, is also a major fundraiser for volunteer fire departments in the canyon and the Canyon QRU. It also donates to the Canyon Community kitchen, the Sheriff’s posse and the canyon cleanup event.  

Last year it gave back $10,500 to the community. If snow doesn't come, they simply hope to break even, Shafer said, as all the promotional materials and other advertising are completed.  

“We need the support of the community this year more than ever,” he said.

Learn more at the Cabin Fever Days website.