Much needed time away from the shop- My dog sledding adventure

[Brucker]

Got to spend a few days out of the busy shop. Spent the time with my beautiful wife up in and around Steamboat Springs. We have been wanting to go dog sledding for some time now, and finally made some time to try it. We choose Grizzle-T Dog and Sled Works for our guided tour (http://www.steamboatdogsledding.com/ ). And they were AWESOME! The entire staff was EXTREMELY friendly, outgoing, and knowledgeable. They are the same company that was recently featured on Good Morning America. (Video here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/rob-marciano-dog-sledding-beautiful-colorado-mountains-44784325 ) And the pup featured in the video, Cougar, was actually on our team.

The kennel operation was HUGE and yes, you are given full access to it. They have nothing to hide about the way they care for the pups, and man, do they ever care about them. They have about 120 dogs onsite and most are used every day. Here is a photo of just some of the kennels/houses:

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/16422764_1269028703191264_8890741262419598605_o.jp g?oh=7988c8f55e019dab212ef0d4bf668c56&oe=590D8FD6

Each sled has two riders, one drives, the other rides bundled up in the sled. Each sled has a team of 8 dogs. And they are willing and able to teach anyone regardless of their weight. Since they have so many dog to choose from, they can easily put together a team capable of pulling pretty much any weight. Each person gets about 6 miles of driving time and about 6 miles of sitting time.

Here is a photo of our team getting assembled together and harnessed in:

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/16422535_1269018486525619_1142312759311660723_o.jp g?oh=08980940529eaae98f62e0537990ff11&oe=594BBEC4
Our sled all loaded up:

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/16403404_1269025223191612_6793139959043147746_o.jp g?oh=ffac7db373dbd2d8156d872f333f4506&oe=5905421D

Out on the trail:

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/16463011_1269018176525650_3310412050820645714_o.jp g?oh=f8de80a4fd626db5930c459a3ee67df5&oe=5903BC87

And a couple videos from when I was riding in the sled and my wife was driving.

First was when she first started out. You yell "HIKE" to get them going and "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, STOP!" to get them stopped.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf-kkLCAbRM

And cruising along:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF2-bjw0iws

[Chris]

Very cool Aaron, I'm jealous but enjoying vicariously. Our former neighbor in Minnesota was related to one of the top female mushers that raced in the Iditerod among others. I believe she still holds the woman's record. When she was in state she'd race in the local John Beargrease Marathon and stop at the neighbors with her dogs. Imagine a suburban yard full of sled dogs!

I never heard of sledding in Steamboat, maybe someday!

[TJS86TOY]

Very cool! Im afraid I would have to loose weight or get about 6 extra dogs to pull me :frown:

[Patrolman]

Looks like it was a good time. I am surprised to see the mixed breed of dogs.

[Chris]

Looks like it was a good time. I am surprised to see the mixed breed of dogs.

Many are pulling with mom & dad! Just have to be strong!

The person I mentioned lives in a neighborhood in AK that is all mushers, gotta be a sight to see. The biggest kick I got was hearing what a bonus it is to find a dead elk when heading home! Woohoo, free food!

[Jim]

That's COOL! The dogs seemed more mellow in the vids - though I guess as it's not a race.

[Brucker]

Our former neighbor in Minnesota was related to one of the top female mushers that raced in the Iditerod among others. I believe she still holds the woman's record. When she was in state she'd race in the local John Beargrease Marathon and stop at the neighbors with her dogs. Imagine a suburban yard full of sled dogs!

That would have been an impressive sight! The owners of the Grizzle-T have also competed in the Iditarod and multiple other races. They talked about maybe trying to raise enough money this summer to compete in the Iditarod again next year, as they have had two children in the past three years making competing difficult.

[The StRanger]

Very nice. Looks like a good time.

[Brucker]

Very cool! Im afraid I would have to loose weight or get about 6 extra dogs to pull me :frown:

I haven't met you so I have no idea of your build, but if you fit in a first gen Toyota, you should be fine.... Seriously though, they spoke of easily being able to put together a team that can pull 600+ pounds worth of humans, easily. As a frame of reference, I am 6'1" tall and am now weighting about 230 and they were two other guys there that were bigger than me. No one had any issues. If you think you would enjoy it, just go do it. Can not stress enough how much fun we had.

[Jim]

Was the pulling by the dogs an even/consistent pull or was there a pulse where they'd pull harder/softer - like a steam locomotive's pulsing?

[Brucker]

Looks like it was a good time. I am surprised to see the mixed breed of dogs.

They are all Alaskan Huskies. Quote from Wiki:


The Alaskan husky is not considered a pure breed. It is defined only by its purpose, which is that of a highly efficient sled dog (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sled_dog).[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_husky#cite_note-1) The husky is a blend of various Northern breeds, chosen particularly for skills such as pulling.

Here is the link to more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_husky

As it was described to me, many sled dogs were huskies or other various dog breeds that the Inuit people had, that were then cross bred with hounds for more speed. That is why no two dogs will really ever look alike. It is almost a guarantee that each pup of a litter will look very different and have a different distinct personality.

[Brucker]

That's COOL! The dogs seemed more mellow in the vids - though I guess as it's not a race.


Was the pulling by the dogs an even/consistent pull or was there a pulse where they'd pull harder/softer - like a steam locomotive's pulsing?

The pups are not mellow. Not at all. But they are friendly. In fact they will bark at you if you aren't letting them go as fast as they want. And when it's time to harness up, the kennel area becomes insane, with every dog wanting to be chosen. The best part was when one started howling and got the whole pack going for about 10 minutes. Nothing quite like hearing about 120 different dogs all baying together.

The point of driving the sled is to actually control the speed of the dogs. They tell you to think of it as driving a car with the throttle stuck wide open, and you must use the brake to control it. But there really isn't a good brake system. It is done with a rubber pad with bolts run through it, and the more weight you transfer onto it, the more drag is caused. There is also a steel brake lever that is basically a couple metal rods you step on to drive into the snow for better/quicker braking.

You want the main lead to always be taught and to keep the dogs at a quick trotting pace, but not in a run. They told us to watch the dog's backs and to try to keep them at a pace that kept their backs flat. Then it's all about balance and cornering, which is a lot like skiing, but much less tiring.

The dogs really never needed the HIKE or mush command. They basically always wanted to pull, and it was up to the driver to keep them restrained with the brakes. I didn't really ever have a problem, but when stopped you could feel the constant pulling. My wife had a little difficulty keeping them stopped once. But that's about it.

[Brucker]

Here is a shot of our team with their names:

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16265220_1269405973153537_7278645616713818881_n.jp g?oh=81096a7e51d13a576ff8957de087d133&oe=5919E937

And a link to the full album of photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1269018069858994.1073741855.100002524393874&type=1&l=035e2be426

And a link to my youtube for all the videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6x_nbTyrEe0S7FbRpY2ZdQ

[Hypoid]

Thanks for sharing the experience!


when it's time to harness up, the kennel area becomes insane, with every dog wanting to be chosen.How does the operation adapt in warmer months, with no snow?

[Brucker]

Thanks for sharing the experience!

How does the operation adapt in warmer months, with no snow?

Was told that most get some much needed down time. Although the are run by different means most of the days and sometimes the even use sleds with wheels.

[DETN8R]

Awesome Trip! I've been wanting to go dog sledding ever since watching The Toughest Race.

[Java]

:thumb: That's great!! It's also an ultimate existence for those dogs, they LOVE what they do.