We seemed to fly down the powdery white trail, straight onto
the ice of Swan Lake. You could feel a
stiff breeze as the wind grew teeth in the open space of the lake. One dog gave out a bark, but most were too
busy pulling and panting to give a reply.
Inuit sled dogs have been bred for centuries to pull their human masters
across great expanses of frozen tundra. This little traverse around the
campground was all in a day’s work for these incredible animal athletes. At an average height of 23 inches and a weight of 60lbs, these dogs don't look like the powerhouses that you might imagine pulling sleds, but they are!
Before moving to Kalispell 2 ½ years ago, I thought dog
sledding was something Alaskans did in the Iditarod. I thought Montana didn’t
have enough consistent snow, but to the few serious dog sledders in Northwest
Montana, it seems not to matter. I am
involved with the Big Brother’s Big Sisters program in Kalispell, and Mark
Schurke of the Basecamp Outfitters was nice enough to offer a day of dog sledding for those involved in
the program. About 20 of us
showed up at his house, were introduced to the dogs and watched as he loaded the dogs into his truck. We drove further South from his home near
Bigfork, along Swan Lake where the winter storms keep snow on the ground much
later than the rest of the Flathead Valley.
Everyone got a turn or two with the dogs as they ran a loop near the
campground and along Swan Lake. I think
what surprised me most was the fact that Mark put two of us on the sled and
just let us go. He skied along beside
the sled and was there in case something went wrong, but we were at the controls. He even let us give
signals and commands to the dogs. The
hands-on approach surprised me at first but it made the experience much more authentic and fun! 
Since that time, a few of our guests have also gone out on
guided dog sledding tours with Mark and every one of them has had a terrific
experience. It’s one of those things you
might not think of when planning your trip to Montana, but it’s one of those
experiences you’ll never regret doing.
The thrill of watching eight elite animal athletes propel your sled
through the snow with you at the controls is truly remarkable. There’s actually a community of
dog sledders within Montana and every year they conduct a race called Race to the Sky in mid February.
Unlike some Montana winter sports, dog sledding season lasts almost half the year, starting in the fall, as
soon as there is snow on the high mountains and continues into the late
Spring. Ice skating, cross country
skiing and resort skiing are all more weather dependent and typically end in march,
but dog sledding can be done into June.
Once in the high mountains you get to see views that few people get to
see: the backcountry as a winter wonderland.
This isn’t a view you can drive to, this is a view best experienced the
way it has been for thousands of years, with eight huffing dogs who are ecstatic to
be there with you!
You can check out Mark's company, Base Camp Bigfork and if you stay with us, you can get a 10% discount during the month's of April and May!
