Last year, it was a lack of snow. This year, it’s a lack of registrants.

The South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District has once again canceled its SnowRider Ski Bus program. Programs Coordinator Carrie Monforte reported that only six full-time riders had registered for the program. To break even, a minimum of 37 full-time riders is required, Monforte said. In order for the district to make a decision on whether or not the program can run, registrants needed to sign up quickly. The challenge, Monforte said, is that the decision had to be made before many people were ready to register.

The program was canceled in December. It was scheduled to make eight Saturday trips to Stevens Pass from Jan. 9 to Feb. 27.

It was a bit of a mystery why the ski bus saw fewer registrants, Monforte said. Snow depths in the mountains are on par for a solid skiing and snowboarding season — Stevens Pass currently has a base snow depth of 69 inches. But Monforte believes that because of the rough winter last year, which saw record lows in snowpack, and the program’s subsequent cancellation, the ski bus lost momentum. Had it run, the program would have been in its 19th season. Transportation rates were set at $435, which included a seat, ferry fare, and gas.

“The people I heard from after the fact, after we canceled, they said they were waiting for the snow,” Monforte said. “I understand not wanting to commit to something until you know it’s going to be a fun trip snow-wise.”

“You lose that momentum, people have other focuses. But once they start hearing about snow in the mountains, they start regaining interest,” she added.

District officials did consider an alternate vehicle from the standard full-size charter bus, such as a smaller vehicle with a qualified driver, but costs may not have been  reduced by significant margins. For example, a shuttle-sized vehicle, which carries 15-20 passengers, would have a better chance of being filled but is not significantly less expensive, Monforte said. Renting a van was another option, but Monforte did not know what impact it would have on insurance rates.

“I suspect that our insurance agency would not be happy with us doing that,” Monforte said. “It’s a lot of liability to take on.”

The district also looked to nearby ski schools such as Clancy’s Ski School in Everett and Lion’s Ski School in Woodinville as a possible means of collaboration to get riders to the mountains, but both programs were unable to accommodate the district, Monforte said.

One-day passes, or “a la carte” rather than seasonal passes are also being considered.

“That would definitely have to be an option,” Monforte said. “It may be that that’s how we sell it. It would be dependent on the number of signees.”

Monforte is confident that the program will not die. Another means of generating awareness and excitement back into the program would be to create ski clubs at Langley Middle School and South Whidbey High School, which could feed into the ski bus, she said. At the district’s regular monthly meeting on Jan. 20, Monforte said negative feedback on the program was not an issue.

“As I said, we’re not giving up yet,” Monforte said in a later interview. “It was a very successful program for a very long time and it created a lot of happy people. I think it has value in community, as far as people having a common interest on the island. I feel like it’s still a desired item.”