Ben Keller, right, pushes his daughter Braylin Keller on the sled to start her run Sunday in the Bighorn National Forest. Mike Dunn | The Sheridan Press - Bighorns, Wyoming 
Dog sledders take on Bighorns
Silence and the cool morning air filled a parking lot near Arrowhead Lodge Sunday, a place typically reserved for snowmobilers and cross-country skiers.
In the back of three vehicles were large kennels, each filled with dogs that, despite the 20-degree weather, stayed warm in their straw-filled sleeping quarters, using each others’ body heat for warmth.
Each dog came out of its cage with its tail wagging in excitement. They would soon go on a run, taking their loving owners with them.
Groups as small as four or as large as 10, would be hooked up to a sled and hit the trail for an often-romanticized winter sport — dog sledding.
While working with dogs and dashing through the snow may be a lot of fun, it takes plenty of hard work and time for mushers to pursue the hobby.
Bloodline
Dog sledding has long been a part of winter culture. While it’s now used as a form of recreation, sledding used to be an essential part of life in snowy climates. Dogs sledding served as a form of transportation, primarily, for a number of cultures.
The Berges still have a strong connection to the sled dogs from hundreds of years ago.
The Glenrock residents, 20-year veterans of the sport, brought nearly 30 dogs to the Bighorn Mountains this past weekend. Tabetha Berge said her family has 50-60 dogs in its kennel at any given time.
They raise Siberian huskies, a breed whose size, athleticism, intelligence and natural acclimation to the cold makes it the optimal choice to pull a musher through miles and miles of snow.
“Bloodlines are pretty important as a base,” Berge said. “… Our dogs are all bred from working lines, and most of them come from the original Siberian Huskies.”
Just like any athlete, the dogs require top-notch care to perform at their highest ability. This requires a specialized diet of high-protein, high-fat dog food that the Berges have to ship in from out of state.
Berge said they also have to keep an eye on the dogs’ endurance and health. Her dogs travel between 10 and 50 miles per run.
“You have to make sure they are healthy and fit for what they do,” Berge said.