More effort into vehicle pooling for the weekend's annual Buckwheat Ski Classic could help to reduce traffic congestion at Log Cabin.

Race co-ordinator Buckwheat Donahue of Skagway said Monday the race organizers traditionally promote vehicle pooling from Whitehorse and Skagway.

With this being one of those weekends that happen every few years when the race falls on Easter and the Log Cabin area is open to all users, including snowmobilers, traffic is expected to be heavier than normal, Donahue said in an interview.

He said porto-potties are being set up in the parking lot of the Fraser highway maintenance camp and border station as an alternate site to the parking lot at Log Cabin.

The regular shuttle service from Skagway to the race site will leave first thing Saturday morning, while the traditional shuttle service between Log Cabin and the two pullouts used every year for overflow parking will also be maintained.

Park warden Jeni Rudisill of Parks Canada said some thought was given to removing the multi-use designation for the weekend.

It was decided before Christmas through discussions with the various user groups to leave it as it is, because of the popularity of the long weekend for snowmobilers, she said.

Under the Chilkoot Winter Recreation Strategy developed back in the 1990s, a management plan for the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site was put in place where the Log Cabin area would alternate weekends between allowing motor vehicle use.

The Easter weekend has always been a multi-use weekend under the strategy.

Donahue said it happens every few years that the ski race falls on Easter weekend. Race organizers expect slightly more than 200 entrants for this cross country ski event.

The 50-kilometre race begins at 10:30 a.m. (Whitehorse time), with the other categories going out every half-hour after that.

This year's entertainment for the party and dance down in Skagway is a rockin' blues band from Memphis, Tenn., Donahue said.

Admission, he emphasized, is free.

"Tell all them snowmobilers to come down to Skagway Saturday night because we let everybody in, and the more the merrier."