The Husky Park

It is surprisingly quite when we arrive at the husky park. The peachy glow of the day casts an eerie glow over the scene - dog sleds waiting to glide through the wilderness, a hill full of dog houses laden with snow.

Then the dogs for my ride come down the path.  All 100 dogs begin barking at once! As quickly as they began barking they become quite.

After instructions on using the breaks and a warning not to take pictures while riding (I would probably fall off the sled), we were ready to go.Though I was driving the sled and dog team, in reality I am just along for the ride.  My dog team follows the trail and the lead sled.

Quietly we race across the Lappish landscape with only a muted "sloosh" of the runners against the snow. The ride is much more silent than in a reindeer sled.

Most of the ride is very smooth, but occasionally the trail turns bumpy.  I understand the warning about taking photos.  After each rough section, the lead dog turns to look me in the eye, as if checking that I was OK.

My dog team really does not work as a team.  The lead dog did all the pulling.  The others enjoy a run through the snow, making sure their speed keeps their tethers slack. Finally, without missing a step, the lead dog turns with a brief bark to each dog in the team.  It is obvious he is not happy doing all the work!  For a minute or two all the dogs pull the sled.  We are traveling very fast. Then it is back to one dog pulling again. Soon we are back at the farm, welcomed by the brief barking of all the dogs.

Scenes of a Husky Park

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