The Jackson Hole Snow Devils’ mission is to educate the public concerning winter activities and sports, and to raise funds for other charitable and educational purposes, including making donations to other charitable organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and awarding scholarships. The Organization has, and intends to continue, to provide educational courses concerning winter activities (specifically avalanche training), and to raise money for other charitable organizations and for educational scholarships, primarily from its annual Hill Climb event.
The Jackson Hole Snow Devils snowmobile club was established in 1964 with approximately 14 members. Over the next 10 years club activities included club rides, oval races at the fairgrounds, and cross country races up Mosquito Creek here in Jackson Hole.
About 20 members of the Jackson Hole Snow Devils started a small hill climb in 1975, and what started as a few local boys high marking a ski slope has grown into the World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb. There is only one racer that has raced in every hill climb since it's inception and he is still a current member of the Jackson Hole Snow Devils. That racer is Rick Budge and if you can find him on the mountain he probably has some good stories to tell!
The four day event now draws over 10,000 fans and more than 300 snowmobile hill climb racers from all over the US and Canada to the valley of Jackson Hole. Nearly 400 club members (all volunteer) converge on Snow King Mountain to stage one of the largest non-profit charity snowmobile events in the United States.
Since 2003 we have donated $100,000 to St. John’s Medical Center for an Oncology Exam room, approximately $82,000 in local scholarships to graduating seniors and on-going college students, $57,500 to Teton County Youth and Family Services for “Toys for Tots”, $10,000 to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake in memory of Angie Gould and since 2008 we have donated $50,000 to the Jackson Hole Shrine Club to benefit the Shriner’s Children Hospital in Salt Lake City. Beginning with the 2009 Hill Climb event raffle and continuing with additional donations, we have donated $33,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wyoming. To see a listing of everything that we have donated back to the community since 2001, click here.
The Snow Devils actively support and donate to other charitable groups to protect our parks and public lands. This is all made possible by the voluntary work (there are no paid members or employees!!) of our Snow Devils members and proceeds from the World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb.
The Snow Devils hold monthly general meetings the first Thursday of every month at the Virginian Lodge Convention Center starting in October and ending with our year end event in June at Heise Hot Springs in Ririe, Idaho. These meetings are family oriented and include a pot luck dinner and an information session pertaining to outdoor enthusiasts. Other club activities include the Annual Christmas fundraiser event held every December at Togwotee Mountain Lodge (Santa included), monthly club rides, avalanche training (which if you take two training courses we provide your avalanche beacon for the snow season), spring and fall Highway Clean-up, and grass drags in October.
New Members are always welcome and we encourage you to join. Please click here for dues and membership form.
