Guest Blog by Burton Penner.
Greetings from Northwestern Ontario! Finally getting more snow! Today we added another 5”. My daughter’s hoping for a snow day. It has been an average fall for temperatures with freeze up on the lakes happening about the normal time.
Moose meat is in the freezer, so it is time to concentrate on getting 43 eager sled dogs into shape. This is the part that a lot of people do not realize about the outfitting business. Countless hours are needed to get the dogs into condition long before the first guests arrive. I always say dog mushing is a winter sport like no other. When it is 30 degrees in July and you are feeding and cleaning up after your gang, you’re always thinking about winter. Nothing about dog mushing goes into storage. It is always about winter, 365 days a year.
I have been crossing the lakes for about a week and a half now, with between 6”-10” of ice—there is plenty of safety margin. November to December is spent traveling the trap line, the best place to train lead dogs because every day is different!
I will start taking clients just before Christmas, by then the trails will be in good condition. The only unknown at this point, is how cold it will get, we usually have a real cold snap around Christmas time that lasts for a few weeks (-35 C) good for the dogs and good for making ice.
Travel well,
Burt
Get Adventure! To plan your own dogsled trip click here.
Burton Penner, Borealis Sled Dog Adventures Burton has spent his life living and travelling in the wilderness. Thorough Borealis Sled Dog Adventures, he enjoys sharing his knowledge and passion for the art of winter camping and bush travel by dog team. Thirty years of mushing have taken him and his dogs from Northwestern Ontario all the way to the arctic. “The dog’s energy and enthusiasm for the winter trail is what keeps me going, just to see what is around the next bend.”
Borealis Sled Dog Adventures trips start from the west arm of Eagle Lake, three miles west of Vermillion Bay on Highway 17, northwest of Thunder Bay.
2 replies on “Huskies Love Winter in Ontario!”
Looks like a great time! Enjoythe snow in a dogsled way!
I have always wanted to try dog sledding…it is high up on my bucket list! Sounds like you have been getting the amazing snow dump we have been getting in Ottawa. I imagine it will be perfect for dog sledding.