JAY — Sledders braved the cold to whiz down a man-made mountain of snow trucked in for the Spruce Mountain Sled-In and Winter Family Festival on Saturday.

Truckloads of snow had been coming to the French Falls Recreation Area for the past few weeks. The snow was stockpiled and bulldozed into a “mountain” about 30 feet high with an out-run of about 150 feet.

Other activities included snowshoe races, a snow sculpture contest, rides in sleighs pulled by snowmobiles and ice-skating.

Logs and pallet wood fueled a roaring bonfire in a dumpster.

This is the first year the event has taken place in Jay following four years when Livermore Falls hosted the activities. 

“It’s been a great success,” said Shiloh LaFreniere, Jay town manager. She said Livermore Falls officials were unable to put a festival together this year, and they proposed that Jay take it over.

“It all came together in a very short time,” LaFreniere said. “Planning began about four weeks ago.”

She estimated attendance at more than 200.

The snowshoe races around a short circular course were run in four heats with two youngsters in each. Prizes went to each youngster in the competition. Ages ranged from 4 to 11. 

An adult snowshoe race was won by Abby DiPasquale of Jay.

A large snow sculpture of a great white shark took the first-place prize of $100. Second place with a prize of $50 went to a skiing snowman. A snow turtle took the third prize of $25, and Olympic rings sculpted in snow won a fourth-place prize of $10.

“I was very pleased that the skating rink was so popular,” LaFreniere said.

Skates were loaned by the Wilton Recreation Department for use by anyone who had not brought their own.

The Livermore Trail Blazers snowmobile club gave sleigh rides throughout the event. Members of the Andy Valley Riders snowmobile club worked on grooming the “snow mountain.”

Androscoggin Land Trust sponsored the snowshoe events and members of Boy Scout Troop 199 of Jay assisted at several locations.