- Life & Leisure > *Life & Leisure F1 > TCD Traveler: MUSH! Traveling by dog in the Northern Woods
- December 5th, 2010
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- By Jeanette Hurt
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TCD Traveler: MUSH! Traveling by dog in the Northern Woods
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A sled dog kisses me and tries to nibble on my notebook. All photos by Kyle Edwards.
Howls, yelps and barks ring through the crisp, winter air, echoing in the Northern woods with anticipation. The wolf-toned excitement is almost palpable, and finally, magic words are spoken, and the canine cacophony is silenced, replaced by the swooshing sound of sleds sliding over snow.
Fur flies, and paws pad: there’s nothing quite like traveling by dog, and indeed, I challenge anyone to find a more lovable or enjoyable form of transportation. Where else can you get kissed by your “motor” when you idle?
My husband Kyle and I made our first foray into dog sledding with Wolfsong Adventures, a professional dog sledding operation, located just outside Bayfield, WI. Run by husband and wife team John and Mary Thiel, the experience focuses on the dogs and your interaction with them.
“I just like seeing people enjoy it as much as we did,” John says.
“The first time we went sledding,” Mary finishes.
John and Mary had a pet Siberian husky. Then, their breeder invited Mary to come along on a sledding trip. She was hooked, and soon, John was hooked, too. They started sledding, just personally, with a team of four dogs and one sled, but that initial team has grown to a pack of more than 40 dogs and six sleds. For nearly 13 years, they’ve been introducing others to the joys of mushing.
Our adventure begins with meeting every member of their pack. There’s the Dr. Seuss litter – Horton, Green Eggs and Sammy (Sam-I-Am). There’s the coffee litter – Java, Mocha and Starbucks. There’s the tea litter – Sassy (Sassafras), Iced, Earl Gray and Zinger, who at 60 pounds is the biggest hunk in the pack. Zinger’s also one of the biggest hams, jumping up to kiss me and trying to taste my notebook. There’s also the steak litter – T-bone, Porterhouse and Mini (Petite Filet Mignon), who at 38 pounds is the smallest musher.
Running through the pristine woods outside of Bayfield, WI.
“She may be small, but she’s one of our sled leaders,” Mary says. “She has the right attitude and speed.”
After many kisses and snuggles, we then feed the dogs with a mix of kibble and water (the dogs won’t drink plain water, as it is too boring). More importantly, John and Mary school us in how to operate our sleds – especially the three methods of braking: a tire tread to slow, a metal break to stop, and a metal hook to anchor in case of emergencies. Sleds seldom tip over, but when they do, they are usually driven by “athletic men who don’t listen to instructions,” John says. The most important time to brake is when you’re just starting out. The dogs are so excited that if you don’t have control of them, they’ll seize it, and they have no problems pulling a sled without you attached.
Our lessons completed, we move onto harnessing our teams.
There are five of us accompanying John and Mary, with four sleds. I get to drive my own sled, and my team consists of Horton and Java in the lead, backed by Sassy and Boulder. At 10, Boulder is one of the oldest runners, and when we first meet, he seems to be one of the more laid-back dogs in the pack. All that changes as soon as I slip the red canvas harness over his head. Jumping, baying and rolling in the snow, Bolder wants to pull, and he wants it bad. His enthusiasm continues at that intensity throughout the run: any time we stopped, he jumped, howled and pranced, urging us to keep going.
Before we do leave, though, his howls echo the loudest in the forest, and his voice never falters. Finally, John tells us, it’s time. “Gee-haw!” he says. I simply yell, “Let’s go!” All howling stops, and we rush forward. I hold on, bracing my forearms to control the sled, with my right foot firmly on the tread. Once there’s enough space between us and the next team, I let go, and my boys and girl run. The snow isn’t slick or icy so we only travel 10 or 15 miles per hour, but it seems faster.
It’s a blur, an adrenaline rush and an emotional high all wrapped together in the beauty of a sunny winter morning. We run for at least two hours, but it seems so much shorter. When you run with the dogs, you have to stay so present and so focused to control the sled that your mind doesn’t wander at all. We break for lunch – ours being hot chocolate, minestrone and calzones, the dogs’ being frozen kibble patties. We savor the food – our senses heightened, it is the best lunch ever – and before long, we are back on our sleds, running and rushing through the snow again.
In a flash of fur, it is over, much too soon. All at once, I am seven years old again, and the pony ride ends before it even began. I am so entranced; I know why Mary had to get her own team. In fact, I have visions of running my own team through the streets of Milwaukee. But then the reality of urban living and city zoning hits me. I will, instead, just have to return to Wolfsong next winter to re-live my dream.
Want to Take This Trip? Here’s How.
Dress warmly, in layers that can be easily removed or added, as necessary. Especially, wear good, warm boots, and two or three pairs of socks. If you don’t have weather-appropriate gear, John and Mary will outfit you, as they also handcraft a line of coats, mittens and hats for Wolfsong Wear.
Wolfsong offers trips from Dec. 26-March 21. “We always have snow,” John says. Morning trips, which include lunch, cost $180/weekdays, $225/weekends or holidays. Afternoon runs cost $132/weekdays or $165/weekends or holidays. If you already have experience mushing, you can schedule special evening runs under the stars. Mary and John will also set up camping runs, too. Visit them online or call 800-681-9746.
If camping out under the stars in December and January isn’t to your taste, you can opt to stay in Bayfield’s plush bed and breakfasts. We stayed at the Pinehurst Inn, an environmentally friendly yet luxurious b&b, which offers special dog sledding packages. The dog sledding can be packaged with a massage or facial at Pinehurst’s new, organic Enso Spa. (www.pinehurstinn.com, 877-499-7651)
To Do: Once Lake Superior is frozen, it’s fun to drive on the ice bridge to Madeline Island. It’s also fun to check out the sea caves at Meyers Beach. For a $3 parking pass, you can hike out onto the lake to see these natural wonders. Meyers Beach is less than a five-minute drive from Wolfsong.
To Eat: Good Thyme Café: Upscale eats in a bistro atmosphere. Especially good is the root vegetable potpie and stellar wine list. 715-373-5255) The Old Rittenhouse Inn is another good bet. Their apple glazed pork chop is really 12 ounces of tenderloin, which has been slow-cooked until it is fork-tender. (www.rittenhouseinn.com, 800-779-2129)
