This year's deep snowpack along with spring-like weather has snowmobile enthusiasts and local clubs hitting the trails in droves

The parking lot outside the Last Chance Saloon looks like winter's version of a biker rally. But instead of Harley Hogs and Honda Goldwings, these bikers opt for Polaris and Ski-doos.

They wear down-stuffed coats instead of leather bombardiers, and ski pants in place of chaps. Out on the trail, they're a loud and colorful crew, racing across the blinding snow, or high-marking the hills.

Outside the rustic Elliston saloon, Emmett Kent and his wife, Tanya, along with their daughter Karlee, wait by their sleds. Members of the riding crew crowd around another machine, the hood up. It's not a good sign and the morning is drifting away.

Yet the snow is good -- the best it's been in weeks. The sun is beaming down. They don't make Saturday's like this very often.

There's no need to rush.

"It's a bluebird day," said Kent, who lives in this mountain town anchored to the western slope of the Continental Divide. "The riding is good, given the snow we've got this year. It's as good as anywhere. It's better than several places we've been."

Wood smoke puffs from the saloon's chimney. The banner hanging by the door welcomes members of the Helena Snow Drifters snowmobiling club, which has gathered for its annual poker ride.

The saloon also plays host to the fabled Bigfoot hunt and inside, where it's dark and smells of smoke, photos from the past adorn the rough wood walls. One shows a Bigfoot accosted by a group of men, the animal's eyes both wide and defeated.

It's too early in the day for a beer, though a few are already belly up to the bar. It's shaping up to be a splendid sunny day, and with five inches of new snow on the ground, the riders are ready to ride.

"We live right here, and you can just take off from your house and go," said Tanya. "It's part of the joy of living here. Now we're getting some good snow, so I think it's a good spot."

Mr. Emmett points south and mentions Cliff Mountain and Thunderbolt Ridge as top riding destinations. Then he looks north, across the highway dissecting town, and says Marysville sits 20 miles over the hill.

In a good year, he adds, you can ride a snowmobile all the way to Lincoln.

Up in Lincoln, the snow has the locals talking about a great season. The burrow pits are snow packed and the Ponderosa Snow Warriors, the local club, are pleased as punch.

They too can ride from their door and hit the trails without any worry. It's one of the benefits of living in a rural Montana town tucked away in the heart of the Rockies.

"It's been maybe five years or better since we've had this kind of snow," said Bob Orr, a member of the riding club. "It's good for the town. You can ride snowmobiles out to anywhere you want to go."

According to Snowtana.com, the state has more than 24 riding clubs. They spring from Virginia City, home of the Vigilante Snowmobilers, and Superior, where the Montana Night Riders dwell.

There's the Cabinet Ridge Riders of Thompson Falls, the Cook City club from the Yellowstone area, and the Meager County Little Belters -- a reference to the Little Belt Mountains.

"Right now, our membership stands at 80 to 90 members," said Jeff Lambert, president of the Helena Snow Drifters. "The weather was great Saturday and the turnout was awesome. You couldn't ask for a better day."

After they got that one machine running, the group made a loop from Elliston to Slate Creek and back around. Down the road, past Telegraph Creek, another group zips along the Minnehaha Trail near the headwaters of the Little Blackfoot River.

"I know some of my friends were going to come Saturday, but the snow was so good they decided to go someplace else and play," he said. "We could definitely use some more snow and moisture."