I arrive at Nordik Adventures on an crisp February morning to the sound of boisterous yelps, snarls and barks. The welcome committee consists of 45 Siberian huskies; each anxious to tear up the trails on the first run of the day.
Same here; I cannot wait. I feel like howling myself.
First, though, we must go through the basics. I quickly find out that mush is not a command I’ll be using today. (Darn it: I was really looking forward to yelling that.) Instead, our commands include, doucement or slow down. Gee when you want the dogs to go right. Haw for left. Most important, whoa means stop. This should be done while hitting the “brake,” a claw-like contraption at the rear of the sled.
Oh, and rule #1, by the way: Never let go. Or you’ll end up sprinting after an out-of-control sled. You see, running dogs isn’t inherently difficult. Stopping dogs, now that can be tricky. Rule #2: Never let the dogs get a hint that you are not in charge; they’ll take that to the bank.
***Click here for video footage.***
With this in mind, I look confidently at the six dogs hitched to the gang lines of my handcrafted ash sled. They anxiously leap in their harnesses and peer back at me with their striking blue eyes as if to say: Alright already; let’s do this thing!
Three sleds take off in the distance. Seconds later, my sled, too, slingshots down the trail. In order to take photographs, I, reluctantly, hunker down in the base of the sled. My driver, Valérie, stands and steers on the rear runner.
Moumonte! She screeches with authority at the 2-year-old troublemaker of the group, who keeps tussling with the dog next to him.
Moumonte!, she yells again.
The forest is a blur as we slosh through the snow-packed trails. Maple gives way to birch and pine trees. Deer tracks crisscross the trail.
Before I know it, the run comes to a conclusion. But the fun is hardly over; we’re back at the dog yard for some serious TLC time with the pups. There’s Yukon: He loves to rear up on his hind legs and pose by his favorite tree. (see his photo above) He’s quite the looker, however, Shana is considered “tres jolie” — the best-looking canine of the group.
Snow crunch-crunches beneath my boots as we head inside. I find a basket of handmade booties to warm my toes and some down-home cooking, compliments of chef Jordy Thompson. He’s used to cooking for hundreds of people on the Orford Express, a dinner train that travels through Canada’s Eastern Townships. So, whipping up a killer meal for four — no biggie.
I gleefully chow down on the curry chicken, white rice and veggies. And it keeps getting better; yogurt with apples, walnuts and a maple syrup drizzle for dessert. As I sit with a smile on my face and an empty bowl, it hits me, this day was even better than I hoped. Hard to believe, because I had sky-high expectations. But, it’s true. Mush, or no mush. It was the perfect way to while away the morning in Quebec and experience one of the oldest, and coldest, forms of travel.
If you’d like to experience the life of a musher in the Canadian wilderness:
At Nordik Adventures, the cost ranges from $75 to $120, depending on which outing you choose.
Nordik Adventures
205, Rang 6
Bonsecours, Quebec J0E 1H0
819-823-4747
www.nordikaventures.com
My trip was sponsored by Ministère du Tourisme and Tourism Eastern Townships.