Ever since we got Koda we have been obsessed with Huskies. We've read books. Searched for stuffed animals. And when we heard there was Husky dogsledding in Tremblant, we couldn't contain our excitement.
Yesterday, we were picked up bright and early by the AMAZING people who own/work for Expedition Wolf. This place is a kennel, a rescue center, and a functioning dogsledding business throughout the winter months. These people eat, sleep, and breathe their dogs. And their energy and love for what they do is infectious.
As we stepped out of the van, we heard the dogs begin to howl.
Apparently, van = people.
And people = time to pull!
We got a quick run-down of our schedule then went to meet the dogs!
This is what the kennel area looks like. Now I truly understand why Koda loves laying on the deck when it's 30 degrees and requires little more than food and water. These dogs LOVE their boxes. And they were going nuts as each waited to be leashed and led out to the harness station.
The great thing about Expedition Wolf is that you get the full experience of being a dogsledder. They don't hook the dogs up to the sled and tell you to climb in for a ride. Nope, your experience starts by walking into the kennel with a yellow rope, and one by one you take every single last dog there to the harnesses.
Kisses for Teague.
Kisses for Crews.
Another interesting fact about Huskies? They don't necessarily like each other. The dogs had to be taken out in a specific order to avoid certain interactions. Many of the males had to be kept a minimum of 6 feet apart. But if a human got between them, there was instantly no aggression. So frickin' cool!
Once harnessed, each dog is led out to the sled area. The same dogs always run on the same teams, and in the same pairs. As a general rule, a male and female are paired. However, we had the only male- male pair in the facility. They were a pair of Alaskan Husky brothers and they were so sweet to each other!
After about 40 minutes, all of the dogs were hooked up.
And barking-ready to go!
Our sled was number 1 and we were set to lead. Teague decided to be our driver even though there were plenty of adults who were scared to drive.
The morning was beautiful.
At our first break, the dogs from the sled behind us came up to say hi.
Then we were off again!
With Teague in charge, we set out on our next long run. It was perfectly quiet and the views were incredible.
Sometimes on the switchbacks we caught a glimpse of my parents. Who later took a turn WAY too fast and were both ejected about 10 feet from where the sled flipped. My dad has a black eye, which is great because he now matches Teague. My mom bruised her ribs. But the whole thing was so hilarious that we laughed about it for the rest of the day. I just wish I had seen my dad laying face-down in the snow. My mom said she walked over and asked, "Can you get up?" His response: "I think I'm gonna need a minute." They are both fine. And I still think it's funny!
Teague did not flip us. He was a rockstar!
An hour into our ride, we stopped at a tent for hot chocolate and maple cookies. Teague thanked all the dogs for listening well.
Then they both explored the pristine hills.
The dogs were tired and anxious to get back to their boxes. We leashed them one-by-
one and led them back inside.
Afterwards, we walked around and said goodbye to each dog.
They seemed to appreciate the ear rubs.
Well, everyone but this guy. I think he must have escaped.
But if I saw him wandering through the woods I'd still take this spirited pup. It seems he would be a good match for Koda. : )