Rocky Mountain News Article

Trail tails

Dogsled rides gain popularity as alternative to other winter activities

By Ralph Loos, Special to the News

December 20, 2003

WINTER PARK - Surprises come randomly while being pulled through the wilderness by dogs.

For example:

� Mushers rarely say "mush."

� "Whoa" actually means "whoa."

� If not their bodies, moose tend to place other "things" in the middle of the trail.

� Sled dogs are prone to jealousy that would make humans jealous.

The latter became evident before a dogsledding journey through the Fraser Valley even began, just as Jeff Martin was wrapping my legs in a blanket and strapping me to the basket of a wooden sled.

Ten minutes earlier, he had selected and outfitted eight of his 75 sled dogs with harnesses. Five minutes later, Martin connected a tow line to the front of the sled, then began hitching dogs to it, one by one, until all eight were secured.

Suddenly it became clear to the other 67 that this is no dress rehearsal.

The dogs howled, almost in unison.

Translated: "I wanna go, too."

"Sled dogs love to run," said Martin, owner and operator of Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park. "As soon as they realize a sled is about to go out without them, they want to be on the team."

Imagine your siblings piling in the car for a trip to Dairy Queen.

Without you.

The howling continued.

Dogsledding has its roots with early man, during a time when there was a point in traveling with sled and dog. Now it's a recreational endeavor.

"It's a way to see parts of the area you normally wouldn't be able to see," said Martin, whose trails cover 1,000 acres through the Fraser Valley and along Leland Creek.

"We take people along trails where they can see the Continental Divide, Winter Park Ski Resort and mountain peaks," Martin said. "Some days, a moose will plant itself on the trail or nearby."

There are a dozen or so dogsled operators setting up shop in Colorado and most rely on more popular winter sports to provide their customer base.

"We see ourself as a side attraction," said Martin, who learned his craft by working at Snowmass Village's Krabloonik Kennel - the state's biggest and most well-known dogsled operation. "We get a lot of people who come to the area to ski, then decide they've had enough of skiing and want to do something else. Or they don't ski and came here with friends or family who do. Families make up a big portion of our clientele, as well."

The folks at Krabloonik agree.

"Some are skiers who are getting older and don't want to ski as much," said Dan MacEachen, owner and operator of Krabloo- nik, an operation that features 250 dogs and seven sleds.

Forget walking

"Mush" comes from the French word marche, which means to march - or walk.

It's little wonder the people who drive sleds choose to shout things like "Hike" or "Let's go" when they want to get the dog sled team moving.

Walking isn't part of the dogs' duties.

The driver doesn't use a whip, instead using verbal commands to control speed and direction. Martin used "gee" for a right turn, "haw" for a left turn and "whoa" to stop.

Lead dogs, considered the fastest and most intelligent, understand the commands and lead the team.

Meanwhile, the notion that driving a sled merely is standing on the back of it and shouting commands is a myth, Martin said.

A musher "pedals" the sled by pushing it forward with one foot. Turns are completed by the driver leaning in and out, which requires strength and agility.

"It's very, very physical; just ask my wife," Martin said. "She tore her (anterior cruciate ligament) driving a dog sled."

MacEachen described the job of a dogsled driver as "10 percent glamour and 90 percent hard work."

He should know.

MacEachen has been driving dog sleds for 35 years and competed seven times in the Iditarod, a 1,100-mile-plus Alaskan journey from Anchorage to Nome.

A new venture

Martin got his start in dogsledding accidentally on purpose.

"I was in the corporate world in the Midwest and was really getting tired of it," he said. "I came to Colorado and met someone who drove dog sleds, and I just thought it was a great way to live."

Martin then met his wife, Tracie, and the two decided to operate their own sled dog business.

"We share 6 acres - me, my wife and the 75 dogs," he said. Including himself, there are five drivers and two others in training. During the winter months, Martin works six days a week and can send out 21 dog sled trips each day.

Over the course of a year, his dogs run about 70,000 miles.

"In the off-season, we work on the dogs, getting them in shape. We start out running them 3 miles a day three times a week and work up to 20 miles a day six days a week," he said. "During the season, we take sled rides."

MacEachen took over the original Toklat Kennel in 1974, renaming it Krabloonik after the first lead dog he raised.

Krabloonik means "big eyebrows," which is the Inuit term for "white man."

"At first it was just a job," MacEachen said. "But then once I got involved with the dogs, it became a way of life."

In 35 years, MacEachen said the biggest change in dogsledding has been the dogs.

"A lot of kennels are using more Alaskan Huskies, and they are much better athletes than the other huskies," he said.

Where to go

Dogsled tours in Colorado can range from less than an hour to two hours to a full day or even overnight.

Costs start at about $45 a person.

"We stop and take photos along the way," Martin said. "On longer trips, we stop to let the guests stretch their legs and take in the scenery."

Guests are asked to wear warm clothes. Sunglasses, sunscreen and snow goggles also are recommended.

There are two main types of sleds used by operators. Basket sleds are popular among sprint racers and recreational mushers. They are lightweight, with the basket sitting off the runners, which keeps passengers dry.

Basket sleds are fast on hard- pack trails.

Toboggan sleds are more durable and stable and can carry bigger loads. On the other hand, they are more rigid and generally less maneuverable than basket sleds.

Each type of sled has a brake consisting of a spring-loaded plank attached to the sled at one end and a metal hook at the other. To slow down, the sled driver pushes down on the brake, driving the hook into the snow.

A question Martin hears often: "Can I drive?"

It is one I was about to ask when he offered, "No."

The relationship between the sled driver and the dog team is formed over time and many training sessions, Martin said.

"I'm training two new drivers right now, and they won't be allowed to go out with customers until I think they're ready," he said. "The communication between driver and the team is something that is formed."

MacEachen, the grizzled veteran, calls the lifestyle of a sled dog driver a serious "commitment."

"The dogs have to trust you and your voice," he said. "You have a commitment to the dogs, they have a commitment to you. Driving a sled is not as cut and dried as it looks. The trail can be wild."

In other words, me being in command of a space shuttle is as likely as being in command of a team of sled dogs.

This will be an adventure through the wilderness, squeezing through thick trees, up hills, down hills, around sharp curves and across rugged terrain.

There will be speed and the occasional obstacle, perhaps even a moose.

So Martin has fastened my body safely inside the sled, the team is hitched and its driver finds his perch directly behind the sled.

Three, two, one . . . "Hike."

Takeoff.

Commands

� Mush, hike, all right, let's go: Commands that start the team.

� Gee: Command for a right turn.

� Haw: Command for a left turn.

� Come gee, and come haw: Commands for 180-degree turns in either direction.

� Whoa: Command to halt the team.

Call (970) 387-8326 or click here to schedule the experience of a lifetime.

Risks and Rules

If you are coming for a ride with us, it is helpful to read our risks and rules before you show up. We will review these with you before your trip, but if you already know them, your time with us will be safer and more enjoyable. Also below is a waiver. If you have a large group coming, it is helpful to have the liability waiver signed by everyone before you show up as well. It saves a little check-in time.