Did you know that Dog Sledding is the oldest form of transportation in the wintertime?? pretty cool huh? But did you also know that you don’t have to go to places like Alaska to try dog sledding?   Why it just so happens that in Maine, there are at least 2 other businesses in Maine that offer dog sledding experiences!!  You can also find Dog Sledding in Minnesota, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming & of course Alaska!! On this post I’ll tell you about our visit with the Ultimate Dog Sledding Experience,  & it was pretty wonderful to see everything unfold before our eyes & i’ll share that with you….& now I definitely want to try it & maybe you might want too also!! 

The ‘Ultimate Dog Sledding Experience’, (that’s the name of the business) is located in Canton Maine!! On our trip there we were surprised to find that it was not to far away my father in laws house, heading toward Rumford, Maine! 

We arrived to see the sign along the roadside, and the sounds of dog, lots of dogs barking which was so exciting!! I thought wow where are we it felt like we were in another world!! The sight of the dogs were pretty amazing, apparently weekends at the Ultimate Dog Sledding Experience can be pretty busy! On any given weekday things are not as busy though! When we stopped in which was on a Saturday, 5 dog sleds were going out with 6 dogs pulling each sled, so there was a total of 30 dogs getting ready to roar!

It was a pretty amazing sight to see! The Handlers and Mushers were all highly experienced, a fella had just started that day to help with the dogs, maybe transporting them, not sure but even he did great!! The clients, some coming out of the Yurt were ready for their adventure and some like myself were documenting and taking pictures and videos of the dogs getting ready to go!! My kids accompanied me on this outing to blog and get more info on this experience and they loved it!! I thought my son was going to be bothered by the noise but surprisingly he wasn’t and loved seeing the entire experience too!! 

Why some people try Dog Sledding, & how you can help the dogs

We met a sweet Mother and her young son, sorry i didn’t write your name down & I have a terrible memory, but they were so excited to take their dogsled ride!! I got some cute pictures of them and a short video that ill include in a video later 🙂  She owned a home nearby & her & friends from Massachusetts were trying the experience for the first time!!

Another Lady & her friend had looked online for things to do in the wintertime and stumbled upon dogsledding like myself & decided to take a 2 hour excursion, they also were excited for their ride!! 

Then they were off!! So cool to see the dogs working & off they went.. and with it the noise dissipated!! But according to Sarah, once the dogs take off on the adventure, you can really appreciate the beautiful sights of nature and quiet sounds of the dogs pulling you along the snow trodden paths!! Its quite the experience she says!! 

It can be alittle pricey depending on the package you are looking to purchase! At the Ultimate Dog Sledding Experience you can purchase a 1 hour, 2 hour , Full Day intro to Dog sledding Package, Romance & Fireside Day Package, & Mountain Tour!! But what I appreciated learning is that the cost helps cover the expense to house 104 dogs, some of which are retired and helps raise all the dogs!! So its a win, win, you get a cool experience and you’re helping  dogs as well!! Another neat thing is according to Sarah, the owners girlfriend, one of the best parts of the job is “helping dogs work with people”!  Some of the dogs brought in are rescue dogs, brought in from not so ideal living environments, But little by little they are helped to become part of the pack and interact with others!! 

So what a nice surprise that Dog sledding is a thing here in Maine!  Its interesting that besides myself, most people do not know that dog sledding can be found right here in Maine! When we stopped at a grocery store nearby and told them about our visit with the dogs, they didn’t know it was something you could do either! So if its something you’d like to try visit, & mention this post 🙂 http://ultimatedogsleddingexperience.com 

The Sled

One of the things I had wondered about was,  is it dangerous to take a dog sled ride?  Thats a valid question right? I mean I got a concussion from sliding when I was walking up a hill and being hit by 2 kids on a sled years ago! So i just had to ask!! lol! Not only for myself but also for others 🙂  I would want you to be safe as well!!

Apparently it is safe, i think everything in life has risks involved but it was interesting to find out that between all the mushers, not sure how many are employed here but there is over 100 years of experience between them. So they can maneuver thru anything! That is great to hear, isnt it? And the sled itself has important features for safety, it has what looks like a bumper on it, and a type of brake and even an emergency break that the Musher can throw to the ground and acts like an anchor to stop the sled incase of an emergency! How cool is that!! Love, Love, Love it!! 

The Yurt

The Yurt, where guest can warm themselves & hang out was so cute!! The dogs that were lounging there, were even more adorable, some of which we didn’t even notice because they were so quiet!!  

 

So I hope you’ve enjoyed a brief overview of what dog sledding looks like, and some information about the “Ultimate Dog Sledding Experience”!  So if you’re looking for something cool and unique to try, & you don’t have to go to Alaska either to enjoy nature and the great outdoors, why not take a dog sled ride thru the Maine Woods 🙂  Have fun this winter and remember to get outdoors and keep yourself moving!!

 

Thanks for visiting & following along 🙂 Have a wonderful day!!