Garry Gibson and his 1987 Allis-Chalmers
- BY JENNIFER ARGUE, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
January 24th, 2022
It’s a bright and sunny late January day, and the weather is surprisingly balmy at -9 degrees. RM of Longlaketon resident Garry Gibson is methodically driving his 1987 Allis-Chalmers tractor pulling three tractor tires back and forth across 1320 feet of his land.
He’s been at it for two hours today and has put in around 30 hours since the first snow hit this area in October. Right now, the long swath of hard-packed snow is barren save for an old house trailer that functions as a canteen and a set of bleachers. Gibson’s trusty two-year-old Saint Bernard, Georgia, is supervising his work. Georgia is 140 pounds of puppy playfulness. I learned a very important lesson when she slammed into me as I crouched to take a photo. I quickly lunged for the phone that’s gone flying across the snow, worried that Miss Georgia would snatch it up as a plaything. Don’t do that again.
After one last pass, Gibson idles the tractor, stepping out of the cab and down onto the snow. Georgia is bouncing around, still smashing into my legs, but this time I’m ready for her. This dog does not mess around when it comes to fun. The sound of the tractor engine fills the air, but it is not nearly as loud as this otherwise quiet piece of land will be in a few short weeks when around 500 people converge here from across Saskatchewan to take in the 28th Annual Snow Leopard’s Vintage snowmobile races. Last year 131 vintage sleds no newer than 1981 took part in 209 races. The decibel level could likely rival any rock concert.
Gibson tells me the goal for prepping the track is to get it as hard as possible. “Most everybody likes coming to this race because I have the hardest track.” A hard track, Gibson says, decreases the resistance on a sled’s skis letting the machines move faster across the snow.
Georgia, the Saint Bernard
This year, Gibson had to add dual wheels on the tractor because the snow was so deep they kept spinning out, unable to get enough traction. Aside from dragging tires, he also attaches a 20-foot railway tie behind the tires. He also uses a set of packers; his are the crowfoot type though he would prefer coils., He explains that, in the cold, the cast iron crow feet can break if they hit a rock, whereas the coil ones are made of steel and won’t break.
Listening to him, you can tell Gibson is serious about his track and meticulous about ensuring conditions are prime for race day. In 2020 when there wasn’t enough snow, they had to haul it in. This year though, there is plenty of snow. “I pack every ounce of snow that I get,” he said. He pays extra attention to the starting area, making sure to cross-pack it; he wants the snow even tougher here because the sleds revving up and taking off can tear up the area.
The weather is forecasting more snow in the next few days, but what he really likes is rain. “If it rains it will make a really nice hard crust on it. Rains a good thing,” he says.
While February weather can get wickedly cold, it doesn’t stop the racing community. During extreme cold, they may have fewer registrants, but the die-hard racers will race even in -40 degree weather. The only time they stopped racing was in 2021 due to COVID restrictions. And this year, the 14-day weather forecast isn’t looking too shabby, with race week somewhere around -13 and sunny.
When asked what he likes most about race day, Gibson quickly answers, “the people.” He says the racing community is like a family. He is incredibly proud that his daughters also race, “My girls race too, so that’s huge.”
As for Georgia, she will spend race day at the dog sitters, protected from the roar of the engines, and her duties as supervisor complete for another year.
