Teaching the participants to harness the dogs.
Introducing the women to the small basket sled.
Off they go!
Two freight dogs is all it takes to pull one person and a small sled.
ZuluFor the past two years, Points Unknown has provided dog mushing instruction for the Department of Natural Resource's Becoming an Outdoors Woman's(BOW) Winter Event. This year, there were 76 women in attendance. The weather didn't cooperate this year and Sandy and I found ourselves snowbound on the day we were supposed to arrive at Deep Portage Learning Center, where the event was to be held. Thankfully we were able to arrive in time the next day, to teach one of the three scheduled classes of the weekend. The remaining two were then slotted for Sunday. Thanks to everyone who shifted their schedules in order for this to happen!
The Deep Portage staff are just wonderful. On the evening I was to give a dog mushing talk, Tukisi and Isis had a split second scuffle over a food bowl and Isis wound up needing emergency vet attention. (Those darn dogs!) Molly Malacek, the Assistant Director of Deep Portage, was nice enough to lend us her truck so that Sandy could take Isis the 30 miles to the vet while I gave the talk. Thanks Molly! Isis spent the rest of the weekend resting in the comfort of a straw filled crate, on the ice, with the other dogs. We're happy to report that it was a minor issue and she is back to her old self.
Our three classes consisted of from six to ten women. Each class got an introduction to the sled dogs, the equipment and dog harnessing then got to take a two dog team around a little lake, supported by us and the other participants. Everyone did a great job. The dogs just love this event because all seventeen of them each get a turn to be in lead!
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