Winterdance Dog Sledding
Winterdance Dog Sledding
Haliburton, Ontario
The day of the Empty Tank, Santa, and the Huskies!
An interview with Danny, age 4, about our dog sledding adventure in Ontario.
Can you tell me about the tow truck? It went on an hour and then he finally got here, and he looked like Santa. He pulled our car out. It was stuck in a snowbank. The snow was so big, and it was up to the window.
Can you tell me about dog sledding? First I was scared. I don’t know why, actually. And then you called Jack to come with me on the sled. And then I felt great because it was fun. I felt safe with my brother.
Can you tell me about the dogs? They were fast. They were Huskies. Well, while all the dogs were riding us they peed while they were going! They are white and grey and they have blue eyes.
What were you wearing? My snow pants and my jacket and ninja mask and I had hand warmers in my pockets. And a blanket over my legs and we were in last place, but it wasn’t a race.
How did it feel when you were in the sled? Good. Because Jack was with me.
What could you see? Dogs in front of us and snow and then trees. And then it was the end.
What happened at the end? The dogs got a treat and Nana surprised us that we all three got to get something. And I got a Husky and I named him Baby Puppy. And then we leaved and then that’s the end.
My version of events:
Nana, the children and I drove 3 ½ hours north. Dave was supposed to come, but was still weak from the flu. It was so rural that as our gas levels depleted, the closest gas station on the GPS was a decrepit 1920s pump that clearly hadn’t been used for years. The second closest gas station was one pump outside of a general store that was open from 10am-4pm each day. It was 8:55am. I flagged down a passing car, who told me that with 13 miles to go until empty, I juuust might make it back to town to get gas. Biting my nails and praying to God, we discovered that the car can go 3 miles past empty… we made it! Whew!
With a full tank, we set off. The road was icy, and I put the car in 4Low, but we skidded off the road and into a waist-high snowbank. Maybe dogsledding wasn’t meant to be. “One act of thanksgiving when things go wrong is worth a thousand when things go right,” so we counted our blessings: no one was hurt, the car only hit snow, and we had one bar of cell service. People are good- several people stopped to see if we needed help. While waiting for the tow truck, the children played in the snow and Jack told me, “This is even better than what you had planned!” Uh-huh. The tow truck arrived an hour later with a Santa-lookalike driver and we started pulling the tow truck instead of him pulling us. I thought for sure he would have to call in a heavy-duty tow and we would be stuck all day. Nana had to get in the truck (she was wearing so many layers of clothes she couldn’t lift her leg high enough to get in; Santa had to lift/push her into the truck!). She held the brake and inch by inch we were pulled out of the snowbank. Thank goodness!
““One act of thanksgiving when things go wrong is worth a thousand when things go right.””
When we finally arrived at Winterdance, they were more than accommodating. Barb gave us hugs and told us she was so worried. She told us 3 other cars this week called the tow truck at the same spot, and that the school bus won’t go down that road. They allowed us to take a one-hour tour despite us having completely missed our time slot.
The information about dog sledding and their kennel was fascinating! They have 150 dogs, and each morning the dogs decide if they want to work or not. If the dogs jump at their gates, they go to work. If they lay curled up, they get to stay home. The dogs also decide when to retire- after several days/weeks of not working, they are retired and kept at Winterdance, eating steak each night, until they pass naturally.
The sleds were intimidating at first… Nana and I each had to hold the harness lead out as five dogs were attached one by one. The two lead dogs on my sled were Iditarod and Yukon Quest finishers! The children climbed into the baskets (Danny refused to get in until Jack sat with him) and we mounted the backs of the sleds, placing one foot on a very thin ski-like rail and the other on the brake. When the dogs felt any slack in the line they took off, wanting to run at full speed. Driving meant holding on tightly, shifting my weight, occasionally pushing skate-board style, telling Jack and Danny to shift their weight, keeping pace, and nearly constantly putting pressure on the brake. It took a lot more effort than I imagined! The trees flew by so quickly, but I really couldn’t appreciate the beauty of the trail because I was driving. I loved hearing Maria scream as their sled descended each hill. Jack said he was having fun, but I wasn’t sure about Danny. He said it was fun, but I didn’t see any smiles.
When we entered a flat and straight part of the trail, our guide Ryan stopped and allowed Jack and Maria to drive! They both said it was the best part of the trip, and they both did a great job! It was hard to get pictures of them driving!
We arrived back at the starting point and gave the dogs water, treats and lots of praise as they were unharnessed and returned to little straw-filled cubbies on the truck. In the building Nana treated the children to souvenirs: Jack chose a tee-shirt and Maria and Danny each chose a Huskie stuffed animal.
Nana said it was something that wasn’t on her bucket list, but it should have been, and I’m so happy she was along for the adventure! This memory will last a lifetime: the Day of the Empty Tank, Santa, and Huskies!
Tips if you go:
fill your tank early in your journey
follow the directions on the website to avoid snowy roads (we had to detour to get gas, but the directions from Winterdance take you on better maintained roads than GPS)
be prepared for no cell service
have enough food and water in the car to survive a snow delay
bundle up and bring hand warmers
put your phones away and enjoy the experience; the guides will give you plenty of opportunities for pictures
