DOG SLEDDING

By Dan Austin

All someone has to do is mention dog sledding and you might picture fur clad mountain men mushing across a frozen, barren wasteland, along the Iditarod Trail from Anchorage to Nome--ten grueling days, across endless miles of frozen wilderness. Or you might get a visual of those cute talking dogs, made famous in a recent Disney movie. Usually, what we see in the media is the extreme or the parody of the subject. Regardless of which version you might imagine, the truth lies somewhere in between. Dog Mushing is quickly becoming a wonderful winter activity for the "average family." There are now hundreds of outfitters across the country, offering everything from the one-hour introduction ride in the sled, to a ten-day wilderness adventure in the tracks left by the Iditarod racers.

Mushing, or dogs pulling sleds, has been the mode of transportation of choice for the inhabitants of the Northern regions of the world for hundreds of years. In historic times, dogs were primarily used for hunting, trapping, packing, and hauling. By 1800, Eskimo groups on the Alaskan shores of the Arctic Ocean were using dogs to pull toboggans (sleds).

As European explorers headed into the North Country in search of adventure, knowledge, and wealth, they found it to their advantage to copy Native survival methods, especially the use of sled dogs for transportation and freight. Hunters, trappers, and miners, in search of fur, ivory and gold soon followed these early explorers. As these northern regions developed commercially, sled dogs were counted on more and more as a major means of transportation. In the early 1900s, sled dogs had become such an important form of transportation in the North that numerous commercial mushing operations existed to haul everything from mail and supplies, to passengers, between the major supply centers and the outlying areas.

As technology developed and machines were modified to withstand the extreme weather conditions, the commercial use of sled dog transportation decreased. In the 1930s, the airplane started to replace sled dogs in hauling freight and delivering mail, and in the1960s, snow machines began to be used as a major means of winter transportation (and recreation). However, a renewed interest in dog mushing began in the mid to late 1970s. It was sparked by the ever increasing interest in adventure and a revival in the sport of sled dog racing.

Dog racing prospered as a North American sport in the early years of the 20th century. In 1908, the All-Alaskan Sweepstakes was founded in Nome, Alaska and became the first officially judged mushing event. The new sport quickly spread across Alaska, into Canada, then South to Idaho and California, and finally East to New England. Since then, sled dog racing has steadily increased in popularity. Now, national television brings the most famous race, the Iditarod, to our living rooms each year, the first week of March.

As always, before you set forth to "mush" your way across the Arctic, you should not only know your limits, but a bit more about where to get started. I suggest a little research around your favorite ski resort or area. You just might turn up a commercial Dog Sled Touring Operator or two. Include an afternoon of sledding into your next ski vacation. It will give you a better idea of how long you might want to spend "on the runners".

I should note that many outfitters might offer summer rides as well, basically, a sled on wheels, pulled by the same dogs. But in my humble opinion, this just isn't the same as heading across fresh snow, barely making a sound.

When you start calling around have a list of questions to ask, note the answers, and quickly you will have more insight as to who does what, where, and when.

Dan Austin is an avid traveler, father, and adventurer.