outdoorADVENTURES - Dog days in winter paradise

Dog days in winter paradise

MARCH 2007 — VOLUME 5 ISSUE 3

Racing through the snow at close to 20 kilometres per hour Porsche, Ferrari and Corvette offer Sun Peaks visitors a change of scenery from the slopes and an experience like no other.

Appropriately named after racing cars, these Alaskan Huskies don’t need studded tires, just a quick hunk of beef and a sled—then, firing on all four furry pistons, they’re raring to run. Dogsledding is offered at the resort by Alaskan Husky Adventures, whose team of 40 dogs, says company guide Josette Primsem, are by nature energetic and amicable. On approaching them it’s recommended to put out a hand before getting up close and personal, but Primsem says once they’ve taken a brief introductory sniff a quick belly rub might be in order.

“They’re all friendly dogs—people can pet every dog and they can give us a hand to bring them down to the track and harness the dogs themselves,” says Primsem. “Sometimes you can see people thinking, ‘Can I do this?’ because these dogs have so much power. They’re like marathon runners, energetic and strong, but they’re very social.”

Primsem explains dogsledding has become very popular at Sun Peaks, noting that tours were completely booked for the month of February. She believes this is because of the solitude it offers—they often don’t see a single soul when out on a tour. Primsem also stresses the bonding relationship that forms between canines and mushers.

“When clients drive a sled it’s a team effort between them and the dogs,” Primsem says. “It’s very interactive. The dogs look back if they have a hard time pulling up a hill, to tell the musher, ‘please help us a little bit’—it’s all about contact.”

Ken Hogg from Brampton, Ontario didn’t have any reservations about being a rookie musher and taking out a team, although he admits with a grin unless you’re the passenger it’s not always an easy ride.

“It was my first time and it’s not all fun and games—you have to do some work,” he says, but agrees he would do it again. “It was a great experience. It’s beautiful out there. The dogs are beautiful [even though] it’s difficult at first. You’re going around bends and up and down hills so you’re not sure when to lift the brake, but you soon get used to it and once you get to know the track it’s fun.”

A sport that’s both unique to snowy climes and one that many people want to try at least once in their lifetime, dogsledding in the breathtaking backcountry enveloping Sun Peaks is a perfect diversion for the whole family. Primsem says they take participants as young as five and their oldest dogsledder so far has been 92. There are two tours to choose from—both the 12 km Wilderness Trek excursion and the shorter 5 km trip take riders through a stunning winter setting on tracks flanked by rows of towering trees.

Enjoying her second vacation at Sun Peaks, Jane White from the U.K. says a jaunt on a dogsled is, thanks to the informative insights from the guides, unforgettable. She encourages others to give it a try, as it’s a spectacular addition to a winter vacation. “The guides give you a good briefing beforehand, they tell you exactly what to do and what to look out for—very good instruction,” points out White.

“Although you have a natural nervousness you feel like you’ve been well-briefed. I think if you come to somewhere like Sun Peaks because you like skiing it’s another outdoor alpine experience and this is such a beautiful place to do it. You get away from the hill and see the backcountry—it rounds off the whole resort experience.”

For more information contact 250-578-5542.

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