Route set for 17th Snirt Run on Saturday; several Lewis County roads to be closed

Julie Abbass, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·3 min read

Apr. 8—LOWVILLE — After a final meeting with town superintendents, the Barnes Corners Sno-Pals are going with the plan-A route for the 17th Annual Snirt Run on Saturday.

Sno-Pals President Scott Margeson said on Thursday that there is still enough snow on key roads that are often highly trafficked during the event to keep them open this year.

"It will live up to 'snirt,'" he said. "There will be snow, ice and dirt."

The actual route and map are not being disclosed in advance to prevent as many unregistered riders as possible from attending in part because each participant — whether driving or riding — is required to fill out an insurance waiver to participate.

Mr. Margeson likened it to people that go into the "pits" at a car race track who are also required to sign a waiver even though they are not driving.

Several roads will be closed based on determinations of highway superintendents in each town.

Closed roads include:

Town of Martinsburg

—Carey Road, French Road, Corrigan Hill Road, North Road

Town of Montague

—Parker Road, Pitcher Road, Cullpepper Road, Horace Forward (Department of Environmental Conservation trail also in the town of Worth)

Town of Turin

—Houseville Gulf Road, Morgan Gulf Road

Town of West Turin

—North Road, Plumber Road, Moore Road

Barriers and signs will be placed on all of the closed roads. Drivers are asked to respect the closures.

Mr. Margeson said all of the roads involved in the Snirt Run will be clearly marked.

Drivers are reminded to stay on the right side of the road and resist the temptation to ride multiple vehicles across.

Lewis County Recreation, Forestry and Parks Director Jackie Mahoney said that county trails from Brantingham to the railroad bed and from Glenfield to The Edge Hotel on Route 12 will be open this weekend at the request of Brantingham-area businesses.

Riders can connect with the Snirt Run from the area but not from the typical connecting road, Houseville Gulf Road, due to its closure.

"From The Edge for Snirt, they (town highway superintendents) have requested that Turin Road, Lee Road, East and West Main Street to West Road is open to connect so that (riders are) on a paved road and they're not causing damage," Mrs. Mahoney said. "The towns are very specific. They want (riders) on the route that they have designated, so the towns are barricading a lot of the roads that are typically open for ATVs, which are not an access for Snirt."

Like Mr. Margeson, she said she hopes riders will respect the road closures and has been on social media reminding riders to "ride the road and not the ditches."

The Snirt Run is the Sno-Pals' largest fundraising event of the year and typically attracts thousands of all-terrain vehicle riders to participate in the "poker run" that circuits through a number of businesses on Tug Hill. For registration and other information go to www.sno-pals.com/2022snirt.