Dog Sled Race in Flin Flon, Manitoba
February 3rd, 1954
I never thought I'd be running a team of sled dogs through the NJ Pine Barrens. But that's mostly because I didn't know people did that. It was only a year or two ago that I discovered "dry land" dog sledding -- which uses wheeled rigs rather than sleds. And I only recently discovered a group that did this in New Jersey.
On Sunday, I drove down to the Pine Barrens with Dexter and met up with the mushers. Laura, the breeder I have been talking to, was there with her team. I hope to get a puppy from her sometime next year. My real purpose for going was to meet with a man named Bryan, who was selling a used gig (cart, rig, etc.).
Let's pause for a moment. I did not intend to purchase a gig so soon. My plan was to train Dexter with bikejoring (dog + bike) and canicross (dog + hiking) for a few months, then eventually add a puppy to the mix. When the pup was old enough, I'd introduce the gig and get them started on some actual training.
Sometimes, unforeseen opportunities arise that you cannot pass up. I found the gig for sale, and for much cheaper than I was anticipating. It needs a tiny bit of work, and maybe some fresh paint, but it's just what I need to get started.
Before buying the rig, I had to take it for a "test drive". Bryan was kind enough to lend me two of his dogs to put in lead, with Dexter in wheel. He also road on the side of the cart with me, so that my first run wouldn't end in too much disaster.
The run actually went pretty well. It was very brief, just a few minutes long, but still exciting. Dex was a bit worried at first -- he kept looking back at me in a quizzical manner. The steering and breaking is a bit unusual, but I should be able to get a hang of it. I managed to avoid toppling over or steering into trees, so I'm happy about that. On the run back to the site, Dexter found his groove and started to run really hard. I'm proud of him -- he looked like a real sled dog (despite looking very little like a husky).
Dexter behaved really well in general -- very calm around the other dogs and even around the horses that passed by us. I was more nervous about his behavior than anything else -- he loves to be embarrassing in new situations. Aside from getting a bit yappy towards the end (I swear, he picked that up from the other dogs right then and there -- he's not usually a barker), he surpassed my expectations and did great.
After we ran, we loaded the gig up and I paid Bryan for it. I brought it back to my parent's house with their van, since I'm not sure how I'll attach it to my car yet. There's no use bringing it to our place at this point, there's no where for me to use it around here. Weather-permitting, I'll head back down on Sunday for another run. All the mushers were extremely friendly and very helpful, so I look forward to getting to know them all.
On a semi-related note, I need to move to the farmlands of south Jersey. It's so beautiful and tranquil. I don't mind the long drive to the Pine Barrens; I love getting away from the congestion of suburbia.
