Dogsledding in Steven’s Pass
You don’t have to go to Alaska to partake in this fun adventure! Northwest Dogsled Adventures offers mushing experiences right out of Stevens Pass in Washington State.
I finally did something I’ve wanted to do for 24 years. Back in ‘95 I was lucky enough to meet someone who competed in the famous Iditarod Race. You know, the Last Great Race on Earth, which runs over 1,000 miles though rugged Alaskan terrain from Anchorage to Nome.
Thankfully you don’t need to go the last frontier to experience this thousand year old tradition. Captain Larry and the Flying Furs offer excursions in the snowy Cascade Mountain Range - just two hours from downtown Seattle.
It was a sunny Sunday when we arrived at the Fish Lake/Wenatchee trailhead for our 1:00pm tour. We arrived twenty minutes early to finish up paperwork.
Soon after Captain Larry started the tour by giving us a rundown of the features of the sled, like how it works, and how to help break. Larry’s sled is unique because it is one of the few sleds that allows for three passenger, one to sit in the front, a second to drive, and a third to ride standing on the back. He also covered instructions like proper form when going around a corner and how to balance your feet. Then us, with the help of a one ton truck, held the breaks of the sled to allow the team to attach the dogs to the sled.
Whenever I’m given instructions in some sort of adventurous situation, I get a little nervous. In these instances I remind myself that I perform best under pressure and if I don’t fully understand something I know I will always find a way to figure it out. So below is me, slightly terrified, standing on the back breaks while the dogs were attached.
And, in a few short minutes I moved my feet off the breaks, placed them on the outer wood skis and before I knew it we were on our adventure through the mountains!
My heart was beating SO fast at first, but within about 30 seconds I was completely calm and comfortable on the sled. In that moment I went over in my mind what I learned on the internet, you know since I like to be overly prepared entering any new situation I studied up on dogsledding terminology. Gee - right. Haw - left. Line out - go straight. Mush - let’s go. Whoa - stop. And make sure you’re holding on when ever you hear MUSH, those pups like to take off fast!
When you think of sled dogs, you typically think of pure bread Siberian huskies, but the Flying Furs are made up of a mainly Alaskan huskies. Alaskan huskies are a mixture of a Siberian husky, Alaskan Malamute, and various hounds and gundogs. This bread is quite special because it’s been bread for over a hundred years for dogsledding. Decades of evolution has brought out advantageous characteristics beneficial for this sport.
Our seven mile tour lead us through a winter wonderland, towards a large mountain, and then back and around. There were some switchbacks once we were coming back, which is where we really got to practice our form and balance. Don’t worry it was pretty easy. At times it was as thrilling as a roller coaster, while at other times it was as calm as a canoe ride.
I started on the back of the sled standing with Cameron seated in the front. Half way through the ride Cameron and I switched. I liked standing on the back more than sitting in the front, but both were cool experiences.
The useful information:
You’ll want to make sure you have a vehicle prepared for snowy conditions. AWD, high clearance are good, but also make sure to carry chains. Part of getting to the meeting spot is two miles down a snowy covered National Forest Road in a SnoPark. You’ll see tons of trucks carrying snow mobiles parked along the side of the road. However, you won’t see any in action once you’re on the dogsledding trail.
In addition, you will need a Washington State SnoPark pass to park your car along the SnoPark road. You can purchase a permit from Washington State online. It is $20/day or $40 for the season. If you are going to go to a Snopark more than once I would buy the season pass. If you choose the seasonal pass you’ll be able to print a temporary pass, before the permanent one is mailed to you. The daily pass is just a printout. Some winter holidays are free!
As for apparel, I recommend snow pants, a stylish parka, snow boots, gloves, hat, scarf, and sunglasses. The day we went was quite cold, with a wind chill between 12 and 22 degrees Fahrenheit.
All in all this we had an amazing life experience sledding with Captain Larry and the Flying Furs. If you ever find yourself visiting Leavenworth, WA or want to take day a day trip to Stevens Pass, I highly recommend this adventure. To do so, head to Northwest Dogsled Adventures website. You will need to mail a deposit to confirm your reservation in advance and the rest you will need to bring with you in the form of cash.
If you also appreciate a good theme like I do, watch a dogsledding film before heading out. I highly recommend the film Alpha, which is about how dogs became man’s best friend and companion. Also, Iron Will, Balto, or Snow Dogs would do!
I’ve done a lot of outdoor activities, but I really feel like dogsledding is one that I could really get into. Does anyone have a pack of dogs I can run?
