Mt. Adams Cross Country Trail Grooming

Washington State Parks Winter Recreation Program is requesting proposals for cross country ski trail grooming services on approximately 15.5 miles of designated trails in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest (Mt. Adams Ranger District, Skamania County) under RFP 527-312, with proposals due October 15, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. PST and a mandatory virtual prebid conference on September 10, 2026.

Washington Small Business or Certified Veteran-Owned Business status receives 10 points on the evaluation scale; no set-aside restricts eligibility to these classifications. Bidders must be registered to do business in Washington and hold a Universal Business Identifier (UBI) number. Subcontracting is prohibited without written State Parks approval.

The contract is structured as an indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity on-call services agreement with a fixed five-year initial term (December 1, 2026 through April 30, 2031), anticipated to extend up to a second five-year term subject to mutual negotiation and community engagement. Grooming services are required December 1 through March 31 each season, with grooming performed during dark hours or lowest-traffic periods. The scope includes setting tracks and skate lanes on high-use trails (track-only grooming at 5-foot width; track-plus-skate-lane grooming at 13-foot width), clearing downed trees after windstorms and heavy snow, and maintaining trail safety. Equipment must include snow groomers with tiller and track-setter devices, two-way radio or satellite phone, first aid and survival kits, rotating beacon or strobe lights with backup, halogen headlights, and functioning backup alarms. Contractors must maintain all equipment at state-of-the-art specifications and assume full responsibility for procurement, maintenance, storage, security, and GPS tracking system costs, though State Parks may provide financial assistance during annual budget deliberations. Subcontracting is not available; contractors must stand alone.

The 2025–2026 season budget is $17,432.00 maximum; future annual budgets are determined in July or August with no guarantee of funding consistency. Compensation is all-inclusive hourly rates by equipment type, including operator labor, fuel, maintenance, storage, transportation, insurance, overhead, and profit. Evaluation uses a 100-point scale with 60 points minimum for responsiveness: equipment descriptions and backup plans up to 35 points, pricing up to 30 points (based on 140-hour winter season scenario), experience and capacity up to 25 points, and SBE/VBE status 10 points. Contractors must provide three fresh letters of reference and demonstrate equipment ownership or control through titles, bills of sale, or purchase agreements. Commercial general liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence and automobile liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence are required. Questions are due by October 1, 2026, with responses posted by October 8, 2026. The complaint period deadline is October 8, 2026.