Embark on a Dog-Sled Adventure

Jenny Mackay • January 14, 2010

A family huddles under thick blankets, the sled creaking beneath their weight. The girl points her mitten at the slopes ahead. Eight dogs paw the trail eagerly, their breath hovering in clouds around their dark ears. There is a crunch of boots on snow, a spoken command, and the dogs strain against their harnesses as the sled gains momentum beneath a crimson sunset sky.

This is a story Brian and Deanne Maas have seen unfold on countless winter days during the past decade. As owner-operators of Wilderness Adventures Dog Sled Tours, based at The Resort at Squaw Creek, they provide their customers a memorable chance to do something exhilarating: Ride behind a team of Alaskan and Siberian huskies through a frosty landscape and imagine for an hour that they could be gliding toward the finish line of the Iditarod.

"That's the best thing we've got going for us, doing it in this area where it's unique," says Deanne of a pastime many people do not realize they can try in the lower 49 states. "It's a great experience, being outdoors in an eco-friendly way. It keeps our customers coming back."

From December to early April, weather conditions permitting, Wilderness Adventures offers dogsled rides to groups of all sizes and for passengers as young as 1 year old.

"It's for all ages, that's the great part," says Deanne. "We get a lot of elderly people, too. It's always been their dream to do this."

Natural ability

The Maases are avid outdoors enthusiasts who warmed up to the idea of their now-booming business when their first pet, a husky, showed an aptitude for towing them on snowboards up the slopes of the Sierra Nevada.

"It started as a hobby," Deanne says of an enterprise that today employs four other people and dozens of huskies raised from puppyhood to be professional sled dogs. "We start training the dogs when they are about 6 months old. They run alongside the team. Most of the dogs pick it up naturally. It's kind of instinct for them. It's in their breed."

These working dogs are the uncontested stars of the tour experience for Wilderness Adventures customers.

"Every guest is welcome to pet the dogs," Deanne says. "They're really friendly. Our dogs are our babies."

The Maases' love for their fluffy sled teams is what confines their business to about three months out of the year. When the snow turns slushy and temperatures crest to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (usually about mid-April), it gets too warm for the dogs to work, and Wilderness Adventures calls it a year. But there may still be time to snag a spot on the journey this spring for a daytime or sunset tour. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 530-550-8133.

"We can do corporate groups too," Deanne says, from one sled up to six. Each team of eight to 10 dogs can pull a sled of passengers whose combined weight is less than 500 pounds.

Wilderness Adventures is open daily, weather permitting, although occasional rest days are planned for the dogs, so it is important to call ahead.

Dress in snow gear and warm boots, bring hot chocolate, and prepare to mush with a company whose staff -- especially the four-footed ones -- genuinely adore what they do.


Details:

The following companies offer dogsledding tours:

WILDERNESS ADVENTURES DOGSLED TOURS
Where: The Resort at Squaw Creek, 400 Squaw Creek Road, Olympic Valley
Hours: Open daily, weather permitting
Cost: One-hour tours from $45 to $110 per person
Details: 530-550-8133 or www.tahoedogsledtours.com

SIERRA ADVENTURES DOGSLEDDING
Reservations can be made at the Adventure Desk in the Silver Legacy Resort Casino, corner of West and Fifth streets in downtown Reno, or call 866-323-8928 or e-mail info@wildsierra.com
Cost: Base prices from $169 per person, shuttle service available
Details: www.wildsierra.com/dogsledding.htm

SIERRA SKI TOURING AND HUSKY EXPRESS
Tours take place in Hope Valley, California, 30 minutes south of South Lake Tahoe
Hours: Open daily, weather permitting
Cost: $50 to $100 per person, children younger than 3 are free
Details: 775-782-3047 or www.highsierra.com/sst/pages/hopevly.htm

RUNNING CREEK SLED DOG RIDES
Tours take place at Kirkwood, Calif.
For reservations, call 775-266-4720
Cost: $45 to $130 per person
Details: www.kirkwood.com

www.gotorenotahoe.com