Second in the series of the 5 most fun things David and I have done is riding in a dog sled. There was a period of time when David and I attended ski seminars sponsored by an attorneys organization; I was one of the speakers at these seminars. Because ski seminars are, of course, held during the winter, when there is ample snow on the ground, we were able to participate in several cold weather activities we don’t have the opportunity to do in sunny, warm, South Florida. David and I have skied and ridden snowmobiles, but as far as I am concerned, these activities paled in comparison to riding in a sled, as fast as several Siberian Huskies could pull us. Yes, it was below freezing; yes, we were cold, even though we were wearing snow suits and were covered with heavy blankets; and yes, our view was not as good as that of the lead dog, but what a ride! The lead dog was a strong female Huskie and she followed the commands of our musher in a most excellent manner. The other dogs were eager to run, as fast as they could, through the deep snow in rural Colorado. On the day David and I took our ride, the sky was bright blue, cloudless, and seemingly endless. The inside of the sled was a tight fit for David and me, but I could have ridden in it all day long. It was so amazingly fun! After the ride ended, we warmed up indoors with a tasty lunch, then we were permitted to return outdoors to pet as many sled dogs and sled puppies in training as we wanted to pet. Thinking about this experience now, as I write this post, makes me want to do it again sometime! Mush!
Riding a sled was more fun than I anticipated. It was also colder than I could ever have imagined. I got in the snow suit and felt like I was in a space suit and had to get used to moving around in it. Then I had to fit myself into the sled and had Melissa loaded in almost on top of me. It was warmer that way, but so cold. Of course, I had a camera along and got some great shots when I was not bouncing around during the ride. Keeping the camera warm enough to shoot was slightly challenging, but at least the film camera I used at the time was pretty tough. Considering how challenging training and running sled dogs is gave us a tremendous appreciation for those who find ways to survive and thrive in harsh conditions. The end of the ride came too soon, and, after Melissa got out of the sled I had to roll out, that is, I got dumped out, on the ground with a leg cramp from the cold. The lunch served afterwards was a wonderful treat, and seeing the dogs in training was another highlight of the day. If you ever find yourself with a chance to try dog sledding, go for it!
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