A lack of snow and registrants alike prompted the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District to cancel this year’s SnowRider Ski Bus program.

The SnowRider Ski Bus was scheduled to make eight Saturday trips to Stevens Pass from Jan. 3 through Feb. 21 with stops in Coupeville, Clinton and Everett.

But things appeared rocky from the start, with a later and lighter than usual winter snowfall. South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District Programs Coordinator Carrie Monforte said she began researching alternative options in mid-December, when a combined 14 registrations and an apparent likelihood of a late season meant the parks district would be losing money if it continued with the program as it was.

She researched options such as combining the South Whidbey SnowRider Ski Bus with another district’s program, but determined it wouldn’t work. In part, she said, this was because other districts’ group ski lessons were scheduled at different times than South Whidbey’s. As a part of the SnowRider Ski Bus program, registrants have the opportunity to sign up for lessons at a discounted group rate. Moreover, she said, other districts didn’t have enough participants either. Even if she had been able to combine with another program, there still would not have been enough registrants to cover the cost of the bus.

She noted that it was a problem “across the board.” Ski lessons, ski buses and other snow-related activity programs were all experiencing the woes of low enrollment and inadequate snow.

Parks Director Doug Coutts noted that it was a difficult decision.

“It’s lousy conditions up there, so people don’t want to pay to ride a bus up there when there is no snow,” Coutts said.

Monforte made the official call to cancel the program on Dec. 29, she said, though she had been in contact with participants prior to that date, warning them of the possibility of cancellation.

“People were incredibly gracious about it,” said Monforte, adding that she supposes people were understanding because they were made aware of the situation – and her attempts to find alternatives — well in advance.

All registrants are being refunded.

At a business meeting Wednesday evening, parks commissioner Mark Helpenstell said the snow line is likely to continue to recede based upon recent weather patterns.

“I think you ought to be looking, with a very critical eye, at ever restarting that,” Helpenstell said. “All signs point to us being done with that, just something to keep in mind.”

Monforte noted that, in years with heavier snowfall, the program has been a boon to the parks district. She added that she is considering decreasing the duration from eight weeks to six next year.

Monforte said she also heard from a few individuals who had made the trek in the beginning of January. She said there was still “not enough snow for people to get very excited about.”

Lifts were open on a limited basis, and the slopes appeared “sketchy” and rocky.

“It’s had so many successful years, this was definitely an off year,” said Monforte, of the SnowRider program.

As of now, Monforte is not planning to cut the program for next winter.