Booking skijoring

Skijoring is coming back to the Platte Valley Jan. 6-7 and places for visitors are ready. As of Monday, the Saratoga Resort and Spa, Hacienda, Sage and Sand, Hotel Wolf and the Riviera Lodge still have vacancies.

It is interesting to note that while the Jan. 19-20 weekend of the Fishing Derby is completely booked, there are no waiting lists, to get accommodations for this weekend.

Hoteliers explain the sellout for the Derby weekend is probably due to the fact it is an established event, going on its 35th year.

There is still time for the skijoring weekend to sell out and some establishments won’t be surprised if they won’t have rooms available as the weekend gets closer.

One element Skijoring attendees might be waiting for is snow. The weather has given the Valley spurts of accumulation, but has melted away by unusually warm temps for this time of year. Although January is usually reliable for cold weather in the Valley, the little snow on the ground will force the course to be mostly shipped in.

This might be a reason potential visitors are holding back before committing to booking a room this weekend.

“There are probably some potential visitors waiting until the last minute to check and see what the weather brings,” Stacy Crimmons, director of the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, said.

The Skijoring weekend is also facing a fishing derby in Laramie. It is possible this event is taking away people who would come to Saratoga during this time. Another reason the weekend had not sold out by Monday is that it is scheduled so soon after the holidays.

The Sun reached out on Thursday to find out occupancy and some have noticed reservations coming in since that day.

Proof that the Wyoming weather can often be a determining factor with seasonal events.