Have you ever watched a team of sled dogs work together? If you’re anything like me, probably not. The closest I had ever come to seeing sled dogs work was on the National Geographic or Animal Planet TV channels.
That all changed in late February and early March when I visited my middle son near Isabella, Minnesota. He’s working at a kennel where, while there’s snow on the ground, he gives sled rides to tourists.
Since my son’s boss injured his hand and there was a three-day event happening, I decided to offer my help. I’d only been to Minnesota once before when I traveled with my husband while he attended a work event. That was when I spent my time fighting through the wilds of the Mall of America.
My most recent trip exposed me to an entirely different kind of backwoods experience and shoved me far out of my comfort zone. I spent the week in an electricity-free cabin heated by a wood stove. And I worked hard the entire time I was there.
Hard Work
The days were long and full of activity. Every morning, before tourists arrived for tours and rides, the guys (Philip and Ben, the other worker at the kennel) would check on the dogs while I made breakfast. I am the mother of three boys. I know guys can eat a lot. But I have never seen three men eat so much food in my life.
Most mornings, I would fix pancakes and fry up some bear bacon (which tasted wonderful!). Even after eating 15 or 20 pancakes – each – they’d still go rummaging for more food. Peanut butter and jelly, cans of fruit, half a loaf of bread.
The high temperatures for the day rarely rose above 0 degrees Fahrenheit. And even when no tourists were expected, the work never seemed to be done. Dogs always needed to be cared for, harnesses needed to be repaired, firewood needed to be cut, fires needed to be stoked, and the property needed its regular maintenance. And Philip was preparing for his first sled dog race – 30 miles with a six-dog team. His goal was simply to finish.
Although I was there to cook and clean up, I also got to help with the dogs. My favorite part was harnessing them up and attaching them to the gang lines of each sled. Most rides required hooking up 12 or 14 dogs to each sled.
Release the Hounds!
The adventure of each ride began with fetching the dogs you wanted to use as your team. That in itself was an art. Figuring out how to pair them up and where to attach them to the gang line took skill. You had to know each dog, how they ran the day before. Did they appear to be sound and ready to run again? Did they even like the dog they’d be paired with for this run?
Once the teams were chosen, it was time to head into one of the two fenced-in areas (depending on whether you were getting a male or female), clip a leash to the dog’s collar and hold on for dear life as the 40 or so pound running machine pulled you out to the staging area.
While this was happening, the cacophony from the rest of the dogs was deafening. They would go wild and seemed to be yelling “Pick me! Pick me!” They barked and yipped and howled hoping someone would snap them to a fetching lead. Even the puppies got into the act, and they’d never pulled a sled before. I guess they figured there must be a good reason for all the noise. I was so impressed at how these dogs just want to run. Pulling sleds is obviously part of their DNA.
Once all the dogs were fetched, it was time to slip them into their harnesses and clip them to the sled’s gang line. Each length of cable for each pair of dogs is about 10 feet long. So, with a 14-dog team, the “leaders” are about 70 feet in front of the sled and about 75-80 feet in front of the musher, depending on the size of the sled.
A Change of Scenery
After six days of cooking, washing dishes, hauling firewood, and scratching behind the ears of almost every dog there, Phillip finally had time to take me on a ride. The view while sitting in the basket didn’t change much while facing straight ahead. Nothing but a bunch of dog butts with wagging tails.
But when I took the time to look around, the scenery was both amazing and heartbreaking. As we moved along the trail, the snow-covered branches of the evergreen trees in Superior National Forest were picturesque. But now and then we’d mush through a section of blackened, branchless sticks pointing to the sky.
Last August and September, lightning ignited the parched forest. By the time the fire was contained, 26,797 acres had burned. Kiwatchi Adventures, the kennel where Philip works, was just one of dozens of homesteads evacuated. Imagine loading up 100 dogs and transporting them somewhere safe. All with the threat of fire raging nearby.
And the fire didn’t discriminate. We passed by the hundreds of evergreen saplings planted last spring lined up in perfect rows – all of them now dead. I can’t wait to go back for a visit and see how the land has tried to come alive this year.
Pairs of Power
As I rode in the sled, the power of this team of honed athletes was evident with every paw step. And when I say “team,” I mean it. Each dog had a specific job, and if even one decided not to pull its own weight, the ride could become disastrous.
First, you have a pair of leaders. These two dogs are responsible for leading the entire team onto safe areas of the trail. They understand commands like “Gee” (right) and “Haw” (left), “Straight Ahead,” and “On By,” the musher’s attempts to keep the more distractible dogs moving forward and ignoring that squirrel chattering in the tree next to the trail.
If the leaders mess up, the entire team follows them, and you end up tipped over in the snowbank beside the trail – a real mess. And watch out if you don’t get the team tied down quickly after the tip-over or they’d be off with the sled, and the musher and passengers would be stuck with a long walk back to the kennel.
Being On Point
Behind the leaders are the point dogs. They act as reinforcers of what the lead dogs do. When you have four dogs working together leading the way, it’s very difficult for the rest of the team to make any mistakes.
Right in front of the sled are the wheel dogs. They tend to be a bit bigger and stronger than the rest of the team’s pairs. They keep the sled steady and provide a solid anchor for the team.
The dogs in the middle, the team dogs, have the important role of supporting the leaders and point dogs. Running, pulling, and following the tail in front of them.
As I rode through this alternate universe, I couldn’t help but watch these seven pairs of dogs working together and think about what the world might look like if I took the time to work as well with the people around me.
Maybe if I would just remember my role at any given moment, I’d be able to have a more positive influence on my world.
What’s My Role Now?
With all the different roles I have fulfilled in my life, it would be no wonder why I would have difficulty sticking to one at a time – trying to fulfill the mom role while at work or managing a teacher role while lunching with friends.
But maybe the more important lesson is to do whatever I need to with the enthusiasm and abandonment of a sled dog, jumping at the lead, barking, excited to do what I was meant to do. I can’t help but think our world would be a more positive place if we all acted like a sled dog waiting and listening for the commands: “Ready?” “Hut.”
In the end, the dogs just want to run.
When my kids were young, we adopted a brother/sister pair of huskies from our county humane society. They kept getting loose and they’d end up miles away. Our veterinarian asked, “What did you expect? They’re huskies. They run long distances in one direction. That’s what they’re bred for.”
I never expected I would get to experience life at a sled dog kennel, out in the middle of Minnesota, bundled up like a toddler afraid to take a step for fear of falling over. The whole experience opened my eyes to the fact that we’re all different. We all have a place in the world. We all have a purpose.
What’s yours?
Until next time,
Susie from Stix-N-Stonez
2 thoughts on “How A Team of Minnesota Sled Dogs Took Me For A Ride”
Loved it, loved it, loved it, Susie! Written so beautiful and true!! I was lucky enough to race sled dogs with Phil’s boss, Chuck, in the 70’s & 80’s! You are right, it is very labor intensive but the rewards are great! Animals can show us so much!! It was one of the best things I have done in my life! So many memories. Chuck & I are hoping and backing your son, Phil, for a future Iditarod Race!! Thank you, Susie, for being such a good & INVOLVED MOM! As the kids would say, You Rock!!
Great story!
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