Advice From A Sled Dog; Dog Sledding in Banff, Canada

When my best friend asked if I wanted to go with her on a Women Who Explore Trip which featured dog sledding and a Nordic Spa. I just couldn't say no.

Let's be honest.. anything involving dogs is always a YES in my book.

Quite honestly at the time I didn't even know that dog sledding was possible for an amateur like myself. I always remember being in awe of the grace in which these dogs traveled and their keen sense of hearing when their master gave commands. And not to mention their beauty. These dogs are gorgeous!

Boy was I in for a real treat when I arrived in Canada. Kate and I flew into Calgary on a blustery Friday afternoon. When I say blustery, imagine mass amounts of snow falling. Our little cabin was an hour and a half from the airport in Alberta. There were accidents galore, so we drove at a snails pace to our destination. I'll tell you all of the smaller details in another blog but our excitement could hardly be contained, because the next day we were going DOG SLEDDING.

We awoke the next morning and set out to check off one of the best items on our bucket list.

Our adventure started off by driving to Canmore where the Snowy Owl Dog Sled Tours was located. We rode a bus for what seemed like forever to the near top of the mountain.

Let me also add, the temperature dropped tremendously!

We were met by Jereme, the son of Charles and Connie Arsenault; who originally started Snowy Owl Dog Sled Tours. He and his sister Carlin now share the business following the passing of their father. They have grown to 16 sled dog teams with over 180 dogs.

These dogs are cherished, endeared, and live their best lives doing what they love.

Little did I know, but we were given the chance to drive the sleds. Jereme's beard was nearly frozen solid, and he gave us a wonderful and hilarious introduction of commands. After the driving instructions we had the opportunity to "show the dogs some love" and get acquainted with our dog sled teams. And let me just say I fell in love with them all.

The driving and riding was magical. There is nothing more peaceful then having the opportunity to drive a 6 team dog sled through the snowy mountains of Canmore, Canada.

Something we can all learn, and advice given by the sled dog is:

Work as a Team

Pull Your Weight

Love What You Do

Be Warm Hearted

Keep Moving Forward

Howl With Your Friends

Mush On!

Ps. I also highly recommend goggles and a 3rd or 4th layer of clothing.

Photography by Niesha Calhoun; Creator of Nomadic Niche