I have never been dog sledding. As a person with an
unfettered love of dogs, the idea of coasting over the snow guided by a team of
Huskies has been something that has drawn me in for as long as I can remember. Although
my exposure to the sport has been limited to clips of sled teams on television
and in movies, I have longed to experience the bond formed when working with a
team of dogs and to feel the rush of the experience since I was a child. Dog
sledding has been one of those things I simply needed to experience, but up to
this point in my life I never acted on that desire.
Given that reality, I knew my “I have never...”
year offered me the perfect opportunity and motivation to finally experience
dog sledding firsthand. As a result, I set to work finding a location to learn
how to mush at the first signs of winter this year. Ultimately, that effort
resulted in me finding a dog sledding outfit called the Siberian Outpost in
east-central Wisconsin, which offered full mushing lessons and half day
excursions over 30 acres of trails. Realizing the offering was my best outlet
for finally gaining an experience I had dreamed of for most of my life, I
promptly contacted the location and narrowed down a list of days that would
work for the event. With a little coordination and planning, that resulted in
owner of the outfit, Jim, and I landing on today as the best time for me to
make good on my lifelong goal of learning how to mush.
Acknowledging the experience was one I didn’t want
to gain alone, I spent the weeks leading up to the event doing my best to
convince my friends to join me for the event. Although most of them were unable
to make it, my friend, Wes, was quick to commit when I told him about the
opportunity. In turn, the two of us drove to the Siberian Outpost early this
morning and prepared for an experience we both knew we would never forget.
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| The welcoming crew... |
Jim was quick to greet us when we arrived at the
Siberian Outpost this morning. Through the frigid, -10 degree air he called to
us from the opposite side of a massive dog pen containing nearly two dozen of
some of the most beautiful dogs I have ever seen. Curious about our arrival,
the dogs followed us closely as we moved around the pen and met Jim at his
location. Busy loading firewood into a massive wood burning stove, Jim advised
us we could our way into a large pole shed connected to the dog pen to prepare for the day’s events.
Happy to heed Jim’s direction, Wes and I found our
way to the interior of the building and prepared ourselves for a few hours in
the cold. As we did so, Jim joined us in the building and explained the day
would start with some training on how to manage a sled, which would be followed
by some runs around the fields and forest of his sprawling property. Eager to
get started, Wes and I quickly finished up our preparations before Jim guided
us into the back of the building and introduced us to a pair of his sleds.
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| The Siberian Outpost |
Over the next 30 minutes, Jim walked us through the
basic principles of dog sledding, which included dog commands, steering,
balance, and operation of the sleds’ key components. Although the instructions
were relatively simple, Jim was forward in warning us of the power and
challenge presented by a dog team in a full run. “These dogs can pull 1,000
pounds apiece. When you get going the sled is going to want to turn over,” Jim
said firmly, “You’re going to have to get physical with it; lean into turns,
twist the sled, and tell the dogs their pace. They run, but you are in control.
Remember that.” The words were not lost on Wes and me as we listened on. “Your
safety and the safety of dogs, those are number one,” Jim continued, looking at
the two of us for confirmation of our understanding.
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| One of our sleds |
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| Getting schooled by Jim |
Wes and I immediately offered statements of
affirmation to Jim’s remarks, which set him to work grabbing a variety of
rigging from a nearby container. “Alright, I’m going to be running a team of
16. The two of you will be alternating on a team of four,” Jim said concisely
as he returned to the sled and made a few adjustments, “Are you feeling ready?”
Wes and I excitedly confirmed that was the case before moving toward the door
near Jim’s side. Jim smiled at our response and offered a simple reply, “Well, then
let’s get ‘em rigged up!”
At Jim’s instruction, Wes and I helped move the
sleds out to the pen where the dogs were waiting and worked the sled near the
gate. Our actions caused an excited response from the dogs, who watched on with
wagging tails as they leapt around in anticipation of the forthcoming run. The
sight was enough to put a smile on my face as we continued through the process
at Jim’s direction, which led us back into the pole shed and straight into the
dog pen.
Passing through a door between a massive row of dog
runs, we were greeted by the pack of dogs as they massed up around our legs. To
my surprise, their excitement at our presence didn’t cause a single one of them
to forgo their manners. Instead, each of the casually wagged their tails and
looked up to us for attention while we prepared the harnesses for each of them.
They were kind and gentle in a way that was almost unexpected given their
enthusiasm and strength, which moved me to comment on their behavior.
“What good dogs,” I said petting several of them as
they approached, “They are so well mannered.” In response, Jim finished placing
a harness on one of the dogs and looked up at me with a smile. “You know, almost
all of them are all rescues,” he said proudly, “...Dogs that they said couldn’t
find a home or were unfit for families.” Stunned, I kneeled down and pet a
large white Husky that had been by my side since we entered the pen. The dog
responded by licking the side of my face and wagging his tail happily. “That’s
Alex,” Jim said pointing to the white dog, “He was scheduled to be put down the
day I picked him up. They said he was unfit to live with a family. He looks
unfit doesn’t he?”
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| Gearing up |
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| Some of the best dogs I've ever met... and almost all rescues |
Shocked, I replied to Jim’s remark with the only
thought that crossed my mind. “Him? Not one bit,” I said petting Alex once
more. My comment caused Jim to pause for a moment. “...All he really needed was
to run,” Jim said breaking his silence, “Now that he can, he’s one of the best
dogs I’ve ever known.” Continuing in his work, Jim grabbed another harness from
a nearby container and looked back at me. “I guess that’s part of the reason I
do what I do,” he said conclusively. In his remark, I saw the passion Jim had
for the pack of animals stirring around us. It was all I needed to know I had
come to the right place for my first experience dog sledding.
Once we finished fitting each of the dogs with
harnesses, Jim walked Wes and I through the process of securing the dogs to the
sleds in preparation for our departure. As we did so, the dogs happily howled
and played in their side-by-side positions at the front of the sleds, causing
Wes and I to curiously smile at their playful behavior. “Do they normally do
this?” Wes asked as Jim as he made final adjustments to the rigging. Standing
and moving toward the sled Jim replied casually, “Yeah, they know what’s
coming, and they can’t wait for it.” With that remark, he gave one last look
over the setup and looked to the two of us. “OK, Wes you get on the race sled.
Caleb you hop in the front of the cargo sled. We are ready to go.” Wes and I
gave one another an excited glance at Jim’s comment, realizing the experience
we had come for was finally upon us.
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| Ready to go! |
With Wes and I in our positions, Jim slid open a
massive gate at the opposite end of the dog pen and moved to the rear of the
sled I had taken a seat in. “They’re ready,” he said firmly, “Now, I’m going to
release the chain keeping the sleds in place, and then we’re going to go. You
guys ready?” Wes and I responded with an enthusiastic, “Yes,” causing Jim to shift
his arm slightly and drop the safety chain to the ground with a metallic
clatter. The movement was almost immediately accompanied by a single word
belted over the winter air. “Hike!” Jim bellowed as he leaned into the handles
of the sled. In response, the dogs tore forward through the open gate and onto
a prepared trail. Wes followed suit with the same command and fell in line
immediately behind us as we gathered speed. Within moments we were spiriting
into the frozen terrain surrounding Jim’s home and darting toward the forest at
the rear of his property. As the dogs worked in unison, I found the speed of
the sled surprising, even following Jim’s earlier lesson. Regardless, those
first moments of the trek were absolutely exhilarating and incredible. I would
come to find those feelings wouldn’t fade until well after our time on trails
came to an end.
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| On the trail |
Over the next 20 minutes I happily rode along with
Jim as Wes found his bearings on the race sled behind us. Winding through the
trees and over the fields at a steady clip, we made our way around the property
before Jim slowed to a stop and asked Wes and I to switch places. Excited by
the prospect of gaining the experience I had come to gain, I sprang to my feet
and met Wes as he called his four dog team to a stop behind Jim. Minutes later
I was in position behind the handles of the sled and ready to test the skills
Jim had taught me earlier. In that moment, the anticipation I held was the
greatest I have felt since I was a child, but, in a way, that made sense given
I was about to live a dream I had held onto since my youth.
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| Taking the helm! |
After Wes took his position at the front of the
cargo sled Jim looked back at me and gave me a nod. “You ready?” he asked
bluntly. “Yeah,” I said in return, “Let’s do this!” With that, Jim called his
dogs to action, leaving me behind on the trail. Within moments they pulled some
20 yards ahead of my location, which gave me the cushion I needed to fall
behind Jim’s sled. “You ready, guys?” I asked as I tightened my grip and gave a
quick check of my feet. Confident my position on the sled was correct I lifted
my head, took a deep breath, and belted out a single word, “Hike!”
The call barely escaped my lips before the dogs dug
deep into the snow and pulled my sled from its resting point. Under the force
of their paws we were immediately gliding over the terrain and narrowing the
distance between us and Jim’s sled. Noticing the dogs were eager, I encouraged
them to continue in their effort with the commands Jim had given me earlier.
“Let’s go! Pick it up!” I called, “Run, run!” In response, the dogs heightened
their speed as we moved into a turn, which sent my sled sliding toward the edge
of the trail. The force was strong enough to put the sled up on one rail, which
forced me into action twisting the sled and leaning into the turn as Jim had
instructed me earlier. Almost immediately, the sled responded to my actions,
slamming back into the snow and regaining forward momentum in the tracks left
by Jim and Wes. With the frigid winter air rushing by me, I laughed at the
intense and amazing feeling of the moment. It was wonderful and rousing in a
way that is hard to describe, which made it impossible to wipe the smile from
my face.
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| A little frosty after 30 minutes on the trails |
The euphoria caused by the experience on the sled
didn’t fade for a moment as Wes, Jim, and I continued over the trails for the
next few hours. With Wes and I taking turns running the race sled, we had
plenty of time to get comfortable in the sport, which helped us more readily
connect with the dogs and move the sleds into faster speeds. By the time we
reached the end of our outing, Jim felt confident enough in the progress we had
made that he gave me a chance to lead the cargo sled team of 16 dogs, which
provided the perfect cap to an already amazing experience. Under the power of
16 eager Huskies I drove the sled through the woods at amazing speeds and ended
today’s new experience with a rush of excitement. There’s simply no other way
to describe it, today was amazing.
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| Ready for a post-trek snack and a nap... |
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