Have you ever imagined driving a team of sled dogs? Spirit of the North sled dog trips at Big Sky, Montana's Moonlight Basin Resort allows you to do so...
And, it's not as hard as you may think because the dogs know the trail; you just need to keep your balance, apply drag or brakes, and move your body like a skier.
The Huskies used for these eight mile trips come from Montana's sled dog racer Jessie Royer's vast kennel of Alaska-Siberian mixed dogs (greyhound and other breeds mixed in).
As we (five-year old boy included) helped hitch the teams up, these lean, work-loving canines began yipping, then yapping, and finally jumping and howling, filling the air to a fever-pitch of canine cacophony.
My husband drove ours and as soon as he released the brake the dogs shot down the hill and away into the trees, hot on the trail of the lead team.
Over hills and hummocks we raced, never sure what was around the next bend in the trees...exciting, exhilirating...and the vistas of the snow-covered Madison Mountain Range and the northwest side of Big Sky's Lone Peak...well, you'll just have to try it for yourself!
According to the International Federation of Sleddog Sports, "sled dog activities may have existed for almost as long as the relationship between dogs and humans, in the regions where snow was a seasonal probability."
In the 1920's gold miners returning to New England brought sled dog racing where its popularity soared.
And into the 1930's, sled dogs were the primary means for the Post Office to reach remote places to deliver Alaska's mail.
For information on Montana Sled dog trips, make the call (406) 955-3424
Taunya Fagan Prudential Big Sky Montana Real Estate,
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