Dog Sledding in the Rockies - An Incredible Experience!
Well, it's been a while since our last blog - and we have had so much fun and many wonderful experiences during that time. However, yesterday, we checked off another item from our bucket list, while staying for a few nights in Jasper, Alberta.
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We had been toying with the idea of going dog sledding for quite a while, but wanted to make sure that we weren't contributing to animal abuse in any way. After due diligence, Mark found this company which operates just over the border from Jasper, near Valemount, B.C.
We were especially drawn to the fact that it was an indigenous-owned company. One look at their website reveals the high ethical standards by which they operate, and so we decided to bite the bullet and book a tour.
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| https://www.dogsleddinginjasper.com/ |
Neither of us slept very well the night before because we were so excited, but we were awake enough to enjoy the journey from our hotel in Jasper, to the meeting place, just over the border (also in a different time zone).
The scenery in this area of the Canadian Rockies is spectacular, and the weather cooperated beautifully to provide vista after vista at every turn in the road.
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| Once more, we had to put our clocks back one hour! |
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| At 3,954 m, Mount Robson is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies |
We arrived at the designated spot about 30 minutes before the time we were given, and eagerly awaited the arrival of the truck which would announce the beginning of our adventure.
Happily signing a waiver, we watched as they unpacked the sleds, tied four of them to awaiting posts at the beginning of the trail, and brought out the dogs, attaching them to each sled - the size of the team dependent upon the passengers to be pulled.
In all, they have over 70 Alaskan huskies that are bred for performance, not for their standard looks. The company website explains that they are 'fast, mild mannered, and very easy to work with'. It was obvious, from the start, that these dogs were eager to get going and were totally happy with what they do. All of them were yelping with excitement!
The organizers told us that they would take all the loving we could offer, and we gladly obliged! They were absolutely gorgeous, and very affectionate.
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| Husky kisses! |
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| Husky Secrets! |
Their top-rate condition, healthy coats, and whole demeanour spoke volumes about their pleasure in being with us and in what they were going to be doing. Champing at the bit would be an understatement for these energetic doggies - and their yelps of excitement were exhilarating.
After all dogs were harnessed, we were taken to a spare sled where instructions were given on how to drive the sled.
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| Demonstration Sled |
The two words we needed were, 'Hike', and 'Whoa'! (Not 'mush' as we had seen in the movies!!!). We were shown how and when to use the brakes, what to watch out for in the dogs, how to control the speed of the sled, and how to use the 'anchor' when coming to a stop, (This was to ensure that there would be no 'runaway' sleds - as the dogs just loved pulling them), as well as a couple of emergency procedures.
We were placed in the third of four sleds, with a team of six gorgeous huskies.
Deciding that Mark would drive first, I settled into the comfy sled, enclosed by the wrap around which complimented layered clothing, gloves and toque. (These clothing items had been advised but, in fact, it was a lot warmer on this day, with no wind chill).
Mark got ready to release the brake, and then we were off! I noticed that, once the dogs started pulling, the barking and yelping stopped!
I had half expected it to be a bumpy ride, but couldn't get over just how smooth it was. Watching the beauty of the scenery pass by as we drove along the dedicated trail was an experience of the Canadian Wilderness that has to be unique.
At one point, up ahead, we could see a bridge crossing the stream, with steep banks on either side. From that angle, the bridge looked very narrow and was covered with snow. Controlling a little anxiety, we put our trust in the dogs - as the instructor told us that the dogs know what to do. As we crossed the bridge, we could see that it was a wider than we first thought, and there were snow banks on either side, so all was good - and the doggies were perfect!
After about 20 minutes or so, the leader slowed and stopped so that we could swap places, if we wanted to. There was no way I was going to miss out on the opportunity to drive a sled, and Mark was ready to experience the journey from the relaxed position within the sled.
Around 10 minutes later, we came to a halt again so that we could receive instruction on how to steer around the loop at the end of the trail in readiness for the return to the base.
Setting off again, we had to apply the brakes more often as the trail was mostly downhill, and we had been instructed to keep the reins taut so that the sled didn't go faster than the dogs!
Upon reaching base, we offloaded, and thanked the doggies for taking us on this special adventure! Each dog was given a hamburger 'cookie' and a bowl of chicken soup.
The passengers were treated to hot apple cider and chocolate chip cookies.
For us, this was a 'real Canadian' experience, and we were so glad we had made the decision to book the tour, and can thoroughly recommend this company to everyone who is seeking an exhilarating adventure.
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| Us with our team! |
