Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 31/00) - If your numbers came up, what would you spend your lottery winnings on? A big boat or truck or both? Maybe a new house?

For a long time now, Tony Whitford has had plans for at least part of his potential future jackpot.

"For the future of the race, I'd like to have the right equipment to do the job," referring to a Snow Cat trail groomer for the Canadian Championship Dog Derby.

"But I'd need $25,000 to $50,000 to buy it. I've always said if I won Lotto 6/49 I'd go out and buy one of those."

Whitford, who's day job is Speaker of the House at the legislative assembly, has been in charge of grooming the trail since 1986. The three-day, 150-mile race is the highlight of each year's Caribou Carnival. This year's race begins today on Frame Lake at 12:30.

Speaking about the race last Tuesday, Whitford said the unseasonably warm weather makes making the trail a chore and a half.

"We've got less than two weeks before the race starts and already we're hitting plus two and three degrees, even late in the evening," he said.

"We do all the marking and all the safety stuff we can early. But the actual working on the trail, we leave that until the last minute. We've got a plan there that will kick in on the Tuesday, and continue on Wednesday and Thursday."

More than half the trail work is done on the three- kilometre stretch from the Ingraham Trail to Back Bay. Whitford said snowmobile use of that part of the trail creates moguls that must be shaved off. In warm years such as this, snow must be hauled from the ice up the hill, laid on the trail and packed down.

The turn-around point for the 50-mile course is a nine-mile loop around Baker Island, a large island in the maze of islands about 28 kilometres up Yellowknife Bay. Whitford said the loop is long enough that the slowest dogteam will be on it before the first team starts the return leg.

The warmth has presented a challenge this year, but historically last-minute wind and snow has been the main problem.

"We've had some very touchy situations," said Whitford. "The one time we were just ahead of the dogs with a bombardier and a drag behind it clearing the track.

"You could see the dogs in the rear view mirror. They were following me, because at one place I missed the trail and went into this little bay and had to make a loop back. All the dogs were following me. I was meeting some of them on the way (back to the trail)."

"Another time RTL brought a truck (with plow) in from Lac La Martre during the night. We hit the ice road here at nine o'clock in the morning. By the time we made one loop around the road was drifted in again. So they got more or less just in front of the dogs and just plowed ahead of them. The wind was just a' blowing.

"All the dogs made it home safely that day, a little slower. Then we went back out and finished off the trail. The following two days there was not a puff of wind.

"But that night if we had not had that big plow truck we wouldn't have been able to have that race."

Whitford said that effort was typical of the support RTL provides each year.

For the first time since he has been in charge of the trail, this race Whitford will have to forgo what has been a customary race day ritual.

"I used to be able to go out on Friday at 6:30 in the morning to inspect it. If there's any kind of wind at all I'd have tires behind the truck, breaking down the drifts.

"This year, unfortunately, I won't be able to. We're swearing in a new commissioner that day and my duty is keeping me from it. I have a crew ready to do it, though."