Calling himself happily retired, Don Price spends his winters sledding and grooming trails. It's a fitting way of life in Whitecourt, the snowmobile capital of Alberta. As the Whitecourt Trailblazers snowmobile club Trail Boss South, Price is responsible for everything south of the Athabasca River, about 200 kilometres of trails.
“I’m out there quite a bit,” he said. “But it can vary, depending on how much snow we have and how much the trails are being used. This past December I put in 100 hours. It’s not just operating the groomer—I also clear fallen and drooping trees off the trails, which are both a caused by excessive snow, and this often entails using a chainsaw. It can be hard and physical work, sometimes while it’s very cold out.”
Price also helps with signage and developing trails.
Stress relief
Price first started riding in the 1970s but took a 30-year hiatus from it. He got married, started his career with an oil company and had children. In 2001, after listening to his co-workers rave about the fun they were having sledding, Price finally bought a machine and was instantly hooked again. He currently owns 10 snowmobiles and typically trades in and buys a new one every year.
He fondly remembers his very first sled.
“I had a 1972 Ski-Doo 775 TNT,” he said, laughing. “They sure have changed over the years. I’m not even sure how the old ones moved through the snow, the engines were so small.”
Price rides two or three times a week and refers to snowmobiling as therapeutic.
“I feel it helps relieve stress,” he said. “It’s beautiful and peaceful out there in the snow. There’s often wildlife around and it’s just a great way to experience nature and see this gorgeous place we live in.
"I feel the same way about grooming the trails. It’s is not a job; I enjoy it too much.”
