A dog sled team on the trail - Lake Life, New Hampshire, USA 
Mush! Hike!
I've been infatuated with dog sledding ever since being introduced to the Lakes Region Dog Sled Club. The LRDSC host the annual Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby each winter.
So when Lake Life New Hampshire visited Colorado I was as excited as the kids to make our first foray into dog sledding. We not only met the dogs and rode in the basket but also got to drive a team of eight beautiful animals through the woods. First we met each dog and received a brief tutorial to understand their personality and why they were in their location on the team. After we met our team, we hit the trail and got to take turns driving the dogs - or mushing. I wish we got more footage from the sled itself; most of our footage was taken from the snowmobile cart ahead of the sled dogs.
"Dog sledding is far more exhilarating than I imagined. Mushing the sleds was challenging at times, but the guide was great at meeting everyone's physical abilities. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity that should not be missed!" -- Marlene from Mont Vernon, NH
How can you resist beautiful, smart animals with great names showing what they're made of? Siberian Huskies built for cold and strength and Alaskan huskies built for speed...
Not that I have any desire to participate in the Iditarod or to raise my own pack of sled dogs, but being out there in the open around the lakes and through the woods made me feel more connected to nature. Riding and mushing made me recall Jack London's Call of the Wild and keenly aware of our connectedness with the world around us.
"It was lots of fun mushing; I really want to do it again and learn how to do harder things." --Glo, Age 10.
"The dogs were adorable"--Lachan, Age 7.
Having returned from our trip, I find myself looking to read more about these beautiful beasts and the roles they play in our lives. Check out Debbie Clarke Moderow's Fast into the Night and let us know what you think. Definitely worth a read while sitting by the lake especially if it snows this weekend!