Dog Sledding in New Hampshire!
Dog Sledding in the White Mountains of NH
What is a typical winter day for my sled
dogs?
What is it like to step on the runners of
the dog?
I still remember the excitement of my first
time behind a team of sled dogs. Even
back then when I didn't know much and my
dogs were still pretty young their
enthusiasm and instinct floored me. I
knew then I had made friends (for life!)
with kindred spirits.
Siberian Huskies are my breed of sled dog.
They don't have to be trained to pull or
run, they are born loving those things and
they have tons of spirit and drive.
They can be challenging, but their beauty
and love of adventure will win anyone over!
So what is dog sledding like? After your
equipment (sled or rig) is set up and
secured to an (UMMOVABLE) object each
excited team member is attached to the gangline by her collar and harness. Do
this 4-10 times...and the human is usually
drenched in sweat! Now you have an
entire team jumping and yelping with joy and
hunger for the trail. A last look over
equipment, the trail, each dog and any
passengers...and you pull the quick release.
The team takes off with a SURGE. You
are now racing at up to 20mph down a snowy
trail. The dogs are running in pairs in
front of you … and those all important lead
dogs are a long way away! Everything
is quiet now and you can hear your heart
pounding as you near the first fork in the
trail. Left is down a plowed road, you
don't want to go that way. Right takes
you up the snowmobile trail and over the
mountain for beautiful views. You
quietly call the leaders names and then give
the command for right: “Twinkle, Bodhi....
GEE!” The leaders bring the team
expertly in the desired direction.
“Good dogs Twnkle and Bodhi!” you say and
see them flick their ears to you in
appreciation of the praise. Now you
are cruising uphill, the dogs digging in and
the speed is still high. As you near
the crest of the hill you notice all dog
ears flick forward, what do the dogs hear or
smell that you cannot see yet? The
speed increases as you crest the hill, and
you notice fresh moose tracks. A
little while later you are the one to spot
the moose standing quietly off the trail.
The trail is gorgeous and the air cool and
fresh. Soon you hear a snowmobile and
you call to the team “GEE over”.
Starting at the front the team pushes
farther to the right and you head on pass
the snowmobile smoothly.
After a while it is time to take a break.
The sled is anchored down and tied off to a
tree. Water bowls for the dogs and
some frozen meat. Hot cocoa or tea for
the people. All is peaceful for a
minute or so, but as soon as the bowls are
picked up the dogs are more than ready to go
again. You pack up the sled and head
off again. What a beautiful day!
Whatleigh Torsey
Barking Brook Sled Dog Adventures, llc
www.barking-brook.com and on
Facebook
Also see our list of
NH sled dog rides
