Another item on my bucket list had been to try dog-sledding.
Much in love with my beautiful labrador Spike, I had some qualms about how much the huskies really liked pulling sleds. But that was the first thing the owners of the Muktuk Adventures ranch addressed. The huskies are as keen as all get out to get a chance to go for a run.
When you arrive at the ranch, the noise is a little overwhelming. Imagine if you had around 100 dogs in your backyard, keen to see you and hopeful for a run. The kennels are well-spaced, each with the dog’s name. And definite personalities.
Frank comes over and selects the huskies individually, calling them by name. He’s careful to put a strong leader in the front, and to balance the followers. Each sled has around 5-6 huskies, and we have the choice of one or two people per sled.
There’s a definite trail that they follow, and our group has around 6 separate sleds, following each other single file. I’m not sure why, but my huskies were a little relaxed, occasionally lagging behind the others. Must be that holiday feeling.
It’s a great ranch, and they offer both day sleds, casual visits to play with the huskies, overnight stays and sled training. We met guys who were training for the Iditarod and Yukon Quest.
An experience.
