A Fresh Spring Snow Forecast!!

The ground is almost bare of snow since the Saturday night thunderstorm. The end of another season of sledding has come. Sad  resignation reigns.

BUT…!!!

As of this writing the forecast is wonderfully UNspringlike! They’re calling for seven inches or more of the lovely white stuff. If that happens we’ll be up and running for the weekend if at all possible.The trails in the shade still have a frozen base and a fresh load of that size could allow for one last fling.

So if you thought you missed your ride watch the skies and the ground and be ready to give us a call. This time could be the last.

But then again…There’s been snow in Minnesota every month but July, ya’ know.

What a Way to Make Headlines!

Well, “All’s well that ends well.”, so they say. But Friday’s birthday present ride didn’t go quite as planned. I was giving a ride to a woman and her friend as a birthday gift from one to the other. She’d always wanted to ride a dogsled even at 76 years of age. So that’s what we were doing and everthing was delightful. Until a twisted harness forced me to stop and tie off to Milepost One while I straightened it out.

Then just as I was about to pull the release; the dogs took a mighty leap forward and snapped the anchoring line, taking off without me and dumping my passengers in the drifts to boot. That left me to follow on foot, praying for a tangle. After being assured by my passengers that they’d be ok, I headed down the trail.

While hurrying along I called the Sheriff’s office to see if help was available. They sent officers ahead to the next road crossing to try and intercept the team. When I got word they had them in sight but didn’t know how to stop them I began relaying instructions via the dispatcher.

Just then the only snowmachine we’d seen all day roared up behind me. I flagged him down and begged a ride to catch up to my team. We whisked off through three small road crossings before sighting the officers puzzling over what to do now that they had this “tiger by the tail”.

I dismounted thanking the stranger for his help and joined the officers in untangling the fifteen frantic “pups”. As we worked through the pack who should come along but the news crew from the Brainerd Dispatch!! They clicked off photos as fast as their cameras would go peppering us with questions the entire time.

After nearly 20 minutes we got straightened out and turned around. Bidding my thanks to everyone I headed back toward the snowbank where I’d left my passengers. At the last road crossing there were the cameras again, along with the police deploying the fire and rescue track vehicle to pick up the women.

I followed at the dogs’ pace until I caught sight of the rescuers tending to a woman on the ground! They’d walked back about half a mile until the one complained of weakness and dizziness and laid down in the snow.

Ambulances were on the scene to transport her to the hospital for care. We feared a broken leg or worse. Arriving at the parking lot I wondered how I’d manage to get the team safely back in the trailer. Again a good Samaritan was there! He willingly stood on the brake while I unhooked the dogs. Then he commenced his hike.

After hurriedly packing up dogs and equipment I rushed to the hospital hoping to see about my passenger… but that’s another story.

You can read the Brainerd Dispatch story for yourself. :

Lake Country Journal Journeys with Wolf Moon Kennel!

Just days after January’s wolf moon itself shone over Brainerd; Lake Country Journal’s cameras came to capture and share the sledding adventure that is Wolf Moon Kennel Dogsled Rides. Frolicking in the bright sunshine they found fifteen fluffy canines!

After a quick trip over the trail the cameraman parked himself in the snow and aimed to catch some of the action as we zipped by him. He eagerly pranced across the field getting just the right shots. Back outside the Pines clubhouse the dogs provided endless photo ops of cuteness.

When his face was as frosty as theirs’ we retreated indoors to relate stories of the trail that led to this moment. Wolf Moon Kennel is pleased to anticipate the February 2012 article that will ensue.

Wolf Moon Kennel Goes International!

Wow! We just are getting this dogsledding gig off the ground and it is growing exponentially!! Since becoming a member of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce we have seen rapid growth and increased contacts for our services. But the most far flung opportunity yet to present itself has now extended our exposure overseas. On January 11th we accepted an invitation to be filmed for a Japanese cable television show! We met the producer and director and through their translator were able to fill the requests of the camera personnel for the preparation and filming of the exciting sport of dogsledding. I accommodated them for the interview portion with explanations of commands and introductions to the dogs. We drove the two camera people around the trail to give them an overview of it so they could plan their shots and angles. Then we made several more trips around with the others on their team as they filmed the experience for the viewers. We eagerly await our DVD of the final production. The show entitled, "Take It Easy", will air in Japan on the evening of February 4th. If your travel plans happen to take you to the Orient on that day; let us know how dogsledding is received by the Japanese!!

Ice Fest at Breezy Point Resort

Wolf Moon Kennel was invited to offer dogsled rides at the Ice Fest held at Breezy Point Resort on January 8th. They put in a trail around the channel island and we gave dozens of rides to excited kids and parents who had come to enjoy the festival. With a team of fourteen dogs we had no lack of speed. The day was bright and sunny and the dogs were extremely popular. Delightfully, but unfortunately, more people gathered for rides than we could accommodate in the two hours allotted. We were scheduled for our regular ride event at Grand View at noon and had to leave. But my clever handler brilliantly offered to give free rides at our next venue to anyone who chose to give us their names. Thus, we were able to avoid disappointment for those who had been waiting a turn. This being our first event at this location there were a few unforeseen communication and signage issues to overcome. People were very patient and understanding. Thankfully the saying is true, “Minnesota Nice!”. Next time we will know better what to expect and can allot more time and provide the thrill of dogsledding to all who wish to give it a try. Still it was a fun time and a beautiful day to enjoy winter in the north country!