Teams of sled dogs are common sights in the Colorado high country. Happy huskies, their tongues dipping somewhere around their knees, their legs in a doggy gallop, give you a ride to remember over the river and through the woods.
But doesn’t it seem strange that although “quiet,” “tranquil” and “pristine” are the adjectives used most to describe a ride through forest or meadow, when you arrive for your ride you’re greeted by a chorus of barking and howling canines?
Not to worry; the dogs are excited and anxious to be hooked up to the sled team so they can do what they love to do best. Pull and run. Once they’re in motion, you don’t hear a peep from them.
The Mountain Musher, based near Cordillera, west of Beaver Creek, has been offering dog sled rides for 25 years. Its huskies have been born and lovingly raised here.
Rides begin at Cordillera and extend into the 10,000-acre Diamond Star Ranch. The trails traveled by the dogs are not used by snowmobiles, so your quiet ride is assured from start to its two-hour finish. Halfway through the ride, you will stop for hot cocoa and homemade pumpkin bread. Then you can try your hand at mushing, standing on the back of the sled and directing the 12-dog team.
Each of The Mountain Musher’s sleds holds just two people, but up to five dog teams will travel together on the morning or afternoon tours. Rides cost $150 a person.
Krabloonik, at Snowmass Village, combines dog sledding with a gourmet lunch or dinner.
No fewer than 200 dogs are available at Krabloonik, each a combination of Malamute, Eskimo and Siberian husky. A fresh team of 11 stands at the ready to take you on an adventure into the wilderness around Snowmass.
The Krabloonik restaurant is a rustic showplace with mammoth picture windows framing the summits of Mount Daly and Capitol Peak. The lunch-ride menu includes Krabloonik’s signature wild mushroom soup, homemade breads and preserves, and smoked meats. The two-hour ride and lunch costs $225 for adults and $170 for children 3-8.
The twilight ride offers a choice of caribou medallions, pheasant breast, elk loin, wild boar, salmon or trout, in addition to mushroom soup and dessert. The cost is $295 for adults; $245 for children.
Good Times Adventures, between Frisco and Breckenridge, is the only dog sled outfitter that lets you be the musher exclusively.
After a brief lesson on how to handle the sled, and the commands given to the dogs, you take charge on a 6-mile relay run with a team of Siberian huskies on a trail through the woods and the Middle Fork of the Swan River. Others in your party ride in a passenger sleigh, allowing ample opportunity for them to take snapshots or videos. Along the route, everyone changes places so that those who want to can enjoy the mushing experience.
Reservations are required for this one-hour jaunt. The cost is $50 per adult; $25 for children 8 and under (not recommended for toddlers 3 and under).
Lucky Cat Dog Farm, near Gunnison, lets you make the choice. Your tour can be fun, exciting, educational, relaxing or all of the above. If you want to stand on the back of the sled you may do so. If you would rather snuggle in the sled bag and let the dogs do the work, that’s fine, too. The team will take you into the spectacular backcountry of Gunnison County on an unforgettable wilderness adventure.
A two- to 3 1/2-hour lunch tour costs $165 for adults, $140 for kids under 12. A 1 1/2- to two-hour tour costs $140 for adults, $125 for children.
Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park gives you a taste of the Yukon. The 10-mile ride takes about an hour and 45 minutes on a dense, forested trail. Yet when you reach meadow areas, you’ll enjoy views of the Continental Divide and Winter Park. Rides are offered throughout the day, and range from a 25-minute tour to the one-hour, 45-minute ride. Prices start at $90 for two adults on a short ride to $320 for two adults and one child on the longer ride.
Lillian Ross is a freelance writer who lives in Howard.
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The details
The Mountain Musher, near Cordillera, west of Beaver Creek: 970-653-7877;
Krabloonik, in Snowmass Village near Aspen: 970-923-4342;
Good Times Adventures, off Tiger Road, between Frisco and Breckenridge: 800-477-0144;
Lucky Cat Dog Farm, near Gunnison: 970-641-1636;
Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park: 970-726-8326;
