RANGELEY — More than 1,000 racers and spectators packed Saddleback Mountain on April 25 for the fifth annual King of the Mountain race. The event brought snowmobilers from across the country for one final race in the snow before the final spring thaw.

Last year, heavy rains put a damper on the race. This year was the opposite, with clear skies and 60-degree weather.

“The energy is high today,” participant Gene Bouthiette said before the event started. “Last year, it poured rain, so that was not as fun. The spectator crowd wasn’t out as much, but we still made the best of it.”

One of the draws for some of the snowmobilers is the low stakes that the race offers. Ryan Matson traveled up from Connecticut to participate. He said that the event allows them to focus less on scoring points and more on having fun compared to races that happen earlier in the winter across the country.

“I feel like there’s less pressure here, being that it’s not part of what we regularly do,” Matson said. “We can come out here, we don’t have to worry about points. We can kind of go 110% and not worry that, you know, it might impact where we’re standing in points.”

There were over 10 different classes that racers participated in throughout the day, ranging from vintage snowmobiles to junior racers. The youngest snowmobiler was a 3-year-old who drove up the mountain and won multiple rounds.

“The kids’ event in particular was a high note,” said Ethan Austin, director of marketing at Saddleback Mountain. “Everybody was really excited about that. Great feedback from the riders, great feedback from the spectators. You know, on our end, it was a really successful event.”

The overall winners of the race, crowned the king and queen of the mountain, were Jacob Bissonette and Cecily Bernaiche.