Thursday, February 26, 2015

Dog Sledding- A True Montana Experience!

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!

No comments:

Post a Comment