Summer Dog Sledding

With popular dog sled races like the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest, the sport has garnered more and more interest through the years. In fact, some years it has even appeared in the Winter Olympics as a demonstration sport but has yet to become an official event. It's especially followed in countries with an arctic region, such as the United States, Canada, Russia, and several European countries.

Training for such an event is grueling and often done year-round. Of course, in the summer months, training on snow is not always convenient. Therefore, there are summer training camps, where the dogs pull special sleds on dry land without snow. My husband and I were privileged to visit such a camp two summers ago.

The dogs at the camps came from various breeds and mixes. They also raised puppies there. The staff encouraged visitors to handle the puppies to get them used to people early, so they wouldn't be too distracted or anxious in a race. I must say, handling the cute critters was one of my favorite parts of the day. I'm a dog lover, so it almost made me want to take one home. Almost. Pets can prove a problem for avid travelers who move around a lot or have too many stretches away from home. I appreciated the care this center seemed to give their dogs, however.

Riding on the dog sled was fun, too, and it made me long to do it on snow. However the Alaskan day was cold enough as it was, and we bundled up from the cold drizzle and chilling breeze. Is this really June?

I've had many thrilling adventures as I've traveled the world. But the day at the summer dog sled training camp stands out as part of my journey to Alaska. If you ever get the chance, be sure to check it out.

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