Diamond Lake Poker Run

[Pac Man]

This is a shout out for the Roque snowmobilers and the poker run they sponsor at Diamond Lake during Presidents weekend.

These folks do a GREAT JOB and get better every year. Each year focuses on a different riding area, which makes the ride a new adventure.

We have attended since the beginning and will be back this year.

If you are looking for something to do, I encourage to head up to Diamond Lake and participate in the ride and banquet!!

Pac Man

[Snowlover]

Thanks for the shout out Pac Man! I sure appreciate hearing that people enjoy the event. I should have posted about this myself but I have been so busy that I can barely keep up this year!

We are planning to change up the route a little this year (based on snow cooperating) which will take you though a little known area that has great play areas for all levels.

As always, we will have $3000 in cash prizes for the 25 best poker hands and this year we have over $1500 in consolation/door prizes for those of us who aren't lucky at poker!

Diamond Lake does a great job hosting this event with us. They always provide a great buffet for a reasonable price for those who want it. There groomer is the best there is and we always have high praise for the groomed trails!

I have attached a flyer for the Poker Run for this year. This event is the only fund raising event we do for our club. The money we raise helps us with our charities as well as with the social aspects and day to day running of the club. Some of the charities we support are the Candlelighters, American Red Cross (blood drive), Access Food Pantry, as well as sponsor Christmas families and other interests that come up through the years like Toys for Tots did this year.

Come on out and have a great time, win some great prizes and support our club!!

[Snowlover]

I have heard that Diamond Lake has reduced their prices for rooms and cabins for this weekend.

Motel Rooms staring at $59 and cabins starting at $139......more money to spend on poker hands!!

[Snowlover]

This event is this coming Saturday. With the current weather forecast, it looks like we should have some fresh powder there...

[zookiracer]

I'm thinking about coming down for the day and bringing a few guys.....we were talking about it today but didn't realize the poker run was this weekend, I've never done a snowmobile poker run-how does it work and are the check points marked on a map or something or do you just randomly have to find them? Also we wound only be there for the day and I don't see how early it starts or if you have to be present at the end of day to win? We really just want to get some good riding in but if we make a donation to the event all the better I figure but I imagine it gets a little crowded??? Who all from this Forum is making it?

[Pac Man]

Zook,

The event usually starts around 8 with a safety check and purchase of your ticket. You pick 1 card at registration, 3 cards during the well marked course, and your last card back at registration.

They have a banquet/award ceremony in the Thielsen room starting around 6. You have to be present to collect you winnings. They also have a raffle with awesome prizes after the money winners.

Like I mentioned in my original post, each year the course is different and we have found some great riding areas from the rides.

There are a lot of participants, but everyone starts at different times and I have not found the course to be crowded.

Pac Man

[Snowlover]

The event officially starts at 10:00 a.m. but you can begin registering and going through the safety check at about 8:00. You can start the course as late as 12:00.

There are usually three courses, one for beginners, one for everyone else and one for the adventurous and advanced!

As PacMan says, you need to stay for the awards ceremony to win any prizes. Even a losing hand can win the door/consolation prizes.

There is a banquet put on by Diamond Lake lodge that is a Mexican Buffet. It is optional and the awards are given out right after that.

Diamond Lake is giving rock bottom prices on rooms and cabins this month so staying for the night is an option even if you are on a budget.

Unfortuately for me, I am always stuck inside selling the poker hands all day so I never get to enjoy the riding. But I love hearing about how people enjoyed their day!! If you come, when you buy your poker hands ask for Kim and be sure to say hello!!!

[Snowlover]

Here is a link with pictures of last year's poker run:

http://www.roguesnowmobilers.com/gal...000/index.html


edit: The guy with the blow up doll isn't a pervert! "Lola" was left sitting on a tree on the side of the trail with a note on her. The first one to read the note and bring her back won a prize!

We also had a 'broke down' sledder who gave a prize to the person who stopped to help!

[Pac Man]

I forgot about Lola. That made for a funny story during the banquet.

I will definatley say hello Saturday morning.

Pac Man

[Snowlover]

We had a planning meeting last night....three things to bring to your attention:

1) There will be a new loop added in this year that has an awesome play area.

2) The advanced course should give any of you hot dogs a challenge this year.

3) It was asked if Lola was going to make an appearance this year and the head honcho wouldn't say but I am sure he has something up his sleeve! Keep your eyes open!

I am heading up tomorrow so I can "test" the snow conditions for you all! If you come up, stop and say hi as I will be selling the poker hands all day Saturday!

[zookiracer]

We're in! I'm comming down on Sat. bright and early with a few guys who "think" they can ride comeing with me- I'd be interested in doing the "advanced course" in hopes of learning the area better and hopefully getting some good pic's along the way.....I'll try to wear my "Sledspace hoodie" so if you see a chubby guy wearing a black hoodie with the icons for "Eat-sleep-snomwobile" it might be me so say hi, We're planning on driving home that night too so we might take off early but we'll see.

I'm looking forwaor to it and with luck meet some new people down there!

[Snowlover]

Awesome!! I will look for you!

[Snowlover]

I'm off......need to go pick up the dogs and the snowmobiles and head up to Diamond Lake! Hope to see many of you there!!

[JMScrambler]

I will be there!! Hoping for some fresh powder and a royal flush!!!! Heading up early Sat. and staying the night. I will make sure and wear my sledspace hoodie.

[Pac Man]

Snowlover,

Maybe you can make time during the banquet to recognize the forum members so we can see each other and make connections.

Just an idea.

Pac Man

[Snowlover]

So, did anyone here win any money??? I was so wiped out by the time they started giving out the prize money, I could barely pay attention. I actually left before they finished giving out the door prizes.

Thanks to everyone for stopping and saying hi. It was nice to put a few faces to names!! Did you all enjoy the course?? The snow wasn't ideal this year (like last year) but I guess snow is snow? Did anyone take the advanced route and live to tell???

[snowman56]

Snowlover, we said Hi when we were the first ones to purchase our hands. My son RJ won $250. Our friend we invited won $100 and $50. We also brought home some good door prizes. We rode the B course this year because we had our son's girlfriend with us.
Thanks to everyone for the great time. We are looking forward to next years Poker Run.

[zookiracer]

I headed down after EVERY guy that said they were going backed out so I talked the girlfriend into making pretend it was a valentines getaway and that she might like snowmobiling this time......She said it was borderline tolerable this time (J/K) We got to Crescent lake the night before then I was so excited this being the first time I've done the poker run and all that we woke up at 4am, zoomed down to Diamond and got breakfast on the way then couldn't even get a place to park! Wow what a turn out that was there already. Anyways we got a spot then looked around at the lodge and whatnot, then bought out poker hands and met some great guys and girls (Snowlover and the bunch + a little hottie that was sitting next to her) Great people, next we hit the drivers meeting and I thought they did a GREAT job explaining everything so people that had never been there before would be right up to date. Next up the course was great-freshly groomed and had plenty of powder to get off trail but keep an eye on the girlfriend that stayed solely on the trail. The checkpoints were great and I got to see some new area here and there and riding with the G/F made me slow down and really take in more of the fun and views. We were a bit south before checkpoint two and stopped to cool down and get a snack and right before I turned my sled off it sounded like a woman screaming for help right behind us and off in the trees-We shut off the other sled and realized we were surrounded by coyotes that couldn't have been more than 50ft into the tree's just howling away all around us, kinda creepy but made for a good story. Then off the checkpoint two at the warming hut and saw a ton of the Sheriffs search and rescue that were helping/volunteering. I couldn't believe how much great equipment and trained guys/girls down there. It also looked like they had a bunch of mountain sleds-mostly Polaris's that I think they were training on because they were the only one's I saw stuck left and right all day. We did the B route due to the G/F but I wanted to zoom up to my favorite hill climb while we were down there and realized that the hard A route cam down it and played in the tree's a bit so I parked the he there so she could get a rest and zoomed up the hill and followed the A route backwards for a while then turned around and came back out and down the hill. After all the playing I was doing all day zooming off the trail to hit something on the right then off the trail to hit something on the left it turns out I ran the little Phazer out of gas that was completely topped off before we started but the big Apex still had half a tank when we got to the truck. I literally hit everything I saw on the Phazer and I hit the good stuff twice! I was jumping all day and hitting powder burms everywhere! It was great!!!, until we got to the lodge and realized I didn't have anything good for a hand and was so tired we couldn't stay for dinner AND drive home. We gave our hands to someone and hopefully they won something with them but after being up at 4am and riding all out all day I was DONE! We'll be back next year but we'll probably get a room and sleep in a little more in the morning.

[Pac Man]

We had a great time. My son won $100.00 with a flush and I won $100.00 with 3 aces. Another member of our party won $50.00 with 3 Jacks. My daughter also won a large kite.

The trail was a little bumpy by the time we made it around the course, but riding is better than working so no complaints from us.

Looking forward to next year.

Pac Man

[Tedd]

We had a great time. My son won $100.00 with a flush and I won $100.00 with 3 aces. Another member of our party won $50.00 with 3 Jacks. My daughter also won a large kite.

The trail was a little bumpy by the time we made it around the course, but riding is better than working so no complaints from us.

Looking forward to next year.

Pac Man

Congrats on the winnings bud......