City Slickers Go Dog Sledding for Thrills

A S H L A N D, N.H., Dec. 18, 2003 -- Like many identical twins, Kim and KellyBerg of Ashland do almost everything together, even mushing.

Three to five afternoons a week, after work, they hook up their12 Siberian huskies to a sled and join the increasing number ofpeople enjoying recreational or competitive dog sledding.

"It's exciting. It's an adrenaline rush, for sure," said Kim,23, who's been dog sledding with her sister since they were 14. "Alot of young people are getting into it; there are a ton of us outthere."

But you don't have to have your own team of dogs to enjoy dogsledding. There are sled-dog kennels in at least 21 states,offering everything from races, training and three-week adventuresfor dedicated mushers, to a pleasant half-hour ride for families orbeginners looking for something to do on a wintry weekend besidesskiing or snowmobiling.

Dog sledding always has been a popular activity in Alaska, homeof the world famous Iditarod sled-dog race, but more and morepeople are trying it in places such as Colorado, the upper Midwestand New England.

"The whole sport, for some reason, seems to be catching on,"said Brian Kolowich of Ouray, Colo., who organizes races.

Not Just in Alaska

He said there is renewed interest in the Iditarod because ofanimal rights activists, and in the last few years there have beentwo sled-dog movies, Snow Dogs and Iron Will.

"People realized you don't have to be in Alaska to do sled-dogracing," he said.

As recreation, "it's an alternative to motorized sports" and away to enjoy the winter countryside without the noise and fumes ofsnowmobiles. "And the dogs are your pets, your friends, not amachine you put away for the year," he added.

For beginners, there are many places in the snowbelt that offerrides, a chance to try it out before making any investment in asled and dogs. Rides range from one hour to a half-day, full-day toovernight trips, and rates vary.

Part of Adventure Vacation

The Earth Song Lodge in Healy, Alaska, offers day trips for $75to $200 a person and overnight packages for $400 to $500. Athree-day sampler is billed as "the perfect introduction todog-sledding," with a day spent at the lodge on orientation andtraining, followed by two days in which participants drive theirown dog teams to a backcountry cabin on the Sushana River in DenaliNational Park. The package costs $1,250 to $1,500.

Gregg and Gretchen Dubit of Durango Dog Ranch in Durango, Colo.,took about 20 people sledding 12 years ago, their first year inbusiness. In 2002 they had more than 250 riders in four months ofoperation. Riders book in advance, and they come from all over thecountry as part of an adventure vacation.

Arleigh Jorgenson has been operating Sled Dog Adventures inGrand Marais, Minn., since 1988 when he began giving 10-minuterides at the local ski area. Now his shortest ride is an hour. Hegives them to 350 to 400 people a year, and they get a chance todrive the team.

"The market is huge," he said. "A lot of people are lookingfor a significant experience, something that's real."

Most of his customers come from the city, people who want toexperience the wilderness and the adventure of breaking trail, orskiers on multiday vacations who "choose to spend a day with us,"he said.

A two-day, one-night ride for $650 includes a stay in a remotecabin or a spacious and comfortable winter tent, with all meals andlessons on driving the team. For serious fans of the sport, there about 65 sanctioned racesin North America and Japan, including the World Championship derbyin Laconia, N.H., from Feb. 13 to 15, one of the oldest sled-dograces in the country, according to David Steele, executive directorof the International Sled Dog Racing Association in Merrifield,Minn. And there are many more unsanctioned races, Steele said.

Jan Carlton of the New England Sled Dog Club, whose 13-year-olddaughter has been racing since she was 6, says the club has about100 members and puts on seven races in New York state, Vermont andNew Hampshire. Her daughter trains with six or seven other familieson a series of trails in Auburn.

Andy Norkin and his wife, Catherine, of Denmark, Maine, offerfull-day training and riding sessions through the AppalachianMountain Club for people like Linda Mahoney, 57, of Burlington,Mass., and Rebecca Lee, 29, of Wellesley, Mass.

A One-Day Adventure

Mahoney had read about dog sledding and had seen it ontelevision, and thought "I'd like to try that some day," shesaid. Last winter, she and Lee did.

"It was fun; it was exciting — a one-day adventure," Mahoneysaid.

The Norkins hold class in the morning on equipment, care of thedogs and driving the team, and then give everyone a chance to mushin the afternoon.

It is a lot like cross-country skiing, Norkin said. It can bephysically demanding for long-distance racing, but the recreationalsled-dogger should be agile and fit with some leg strength.

"It's not just a matter of standing there," he said.

There is a hand brake, but for novices, instructors usually runa team in front "to make sure the dogs don't run away with them,"Steele said.

With six dogs pulling, they can hit 20 mph, and you have to hangon around the curves, Mahoney said. "I would do it again. I definitely would like to do it again,"she said.

If You Go…

DURANGO DOG RANCH: Located in Durango, Colo. Contact (970)259-0694 or visit www.durangodogranch.com. EARTH SONG LODGE: Located in Healy, Alaska. Contact (907)683-2863 or visit www.earthsonglodge.com for details on dog-sledtrips. SLED DOG ADVENTURES: Located in Grand Marais, Minn. Contact(218) 387-2498. SLED DOG KENNELS: Listings for sled-dog kennels in 21 statesthat offer tours to the public, from peaceful half-hour rides tointensive 21-day adventures. Kennels located in Alaska, Arizona,California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan,Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon,Nevada, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming, as wellas seven locations in Canada. For contact information, visitwww.dogsledrides.com. DIRECTORY OF DOGSLED ADVENTURE: Listings for tours in Alaska,Maine, Minnesota, Wyoming and around Canada. Most operators welcomefamilies and beginners as well as experienced mushers. Call (907)479-0454 or by visit www.mushing.com to download the brochure. SLED DOG RACING ORGANIZATIONS: Races, training clinics,workshops. For the New England Sled Dog Club, visit www.nesdc.org.For the International Sled Dog Racing Association based inMerrifield, Minn., visit www.isdra.org or call (218) 765-4297. VERMONT OUTDOOR GUIDE ASSOCIATION: Listings for dog-sled rides,tours and races in Vermont. Call (800) 425-8747 or visitwww.voga.org/dog-sledding.html.