Dog Sledding!

Well I am beyond excited to share my day with you!!

I woke up and got my warm clothes on, long underwear and fleece and packed my skipants and jacket in my bag and went to wait to be picked up, once the tour lady came I jumped into the bus and hit the road to get to our destination. After driving for 25 minutes we arrived at the dog sledding place! Yes you read that right I went dog sledding today.  It was so cool, there were three sleds and we sat in them two per sled. Once we packed in the sled they wrapped us up and it was so toasty warm, there were 6 dogs, Alaskan husky dogs, three rows two dogs beside each other and let me tell you they were rearing to go, they were hoping , howling, bouncing from one foot to another, it was so loud. You could really tell that these dogs loved to run. As soon as they heard the command “mush” they took off running, the sled was surprisingly fast but smooth, the wind was blowing in my face, there was no sounds other then nature and dogs, there was complete peace and calamity.

The average speed that the dogs ran was about 30 km an hour, sitting there while the dogs pulled us made me think back to the days past when this was the mode of transportation, wrapping their loved ones into the sled and travelling in the freezing cold to the destination they were going, I felt like I stepped back in time 200 years.

As we went along the bush eventually we came to a “fork in the road” the command “gee” was said and they immediately turned to the right never slowing down for a second.  The sled going around corners or up on the side of the snow some, felt like you were on a wooden roller coaster rides and just sloshed from side to side, but it didn’t hurt, it just really showed me how you could last for days in it.

Once we got back and the next group went there 8 dogs that were left behind, they were in a fenced area but when the next group left and they were still there they howled oh they howled, they put their snouts in the air and howled it was so neat to see but I felt bad for them as they were howling because they wanted to run and pull a sled too.  Thankfully I was told that they would be out running pulling a sled in the afternoon, so thank goodness they will get their turn.  This was an experience that I am so happy I got to do! This experience will be a lifetime!

Since there was two people per sled and I was there alone, they paired me up with this other woman. So I sat down with my back to the sled and she sat in front of me between my legs. It was awkward but we laughed it off, and ended up chatting together lots.

When we were done and back on the bus she says to me “wanna go check out the ice castle with me?” I was like “hellz yeah I do” so excited to not be alone.  So I got off the bus at her place she was house sitting and we hung out, she is here house sitting for a friend, she is from New Hampshire, and works online so she can work from anywhere. We went to the ice castle, saw the snow carvings, they were still working on them but will be finished today so I’m hoping to go back tomorrow to see the finished product, then we went inside the castle, they had windows made of ice where you could see through, and carvings in the walls, there were ice slides and they were fast!

After we finished the ice castle adventure we went to some art galleries and then out for supper. It was amazing to meet someone and spend the day hanging out, chatting, laughing, and getting to know each other.

Once I got back to my hotel my other new friend the one that my friend in Ontario introduced me to messaged and asked if I wanted to go swimming with her and her husband, of course I said yes and got my things together. They graciously picked me up and we went, it was wonderful to get into the water and just have fun, I went on the lazy river, down the slide, off the 3 meter diving board, and chatted a couple hours away.

Now I’m chilling at their house watching a movie and eating homemade chicken soup and pumpkin pie.

I am so happy with how today’s adventures turned out, I cannot wait to go on my next tour tomorrow. Stay tuned!