Mike and I just returned from a trip to the Yukon.
I mentioned in my last article that I was going to draw up a GHG (greenhouse gas) and fuel volume comparison between car and airplane transportation options, and I will do this using this trip as an example. First, however, I want to share what moved me more than numbers.

​Muktuk is a small locally owned business near Whitehorse, Yukon. Muktuk specializes in guest adventures all year round and specifically dog sledding and winter camping in the winter. Mike and I got to experience dog sledding and winter camping this February with Muktuk. We had the opportunity to spend 8 days with Manuela and Jeff (co-owners), Vicki, Savana, JF, co-guests Cheryl and Laureen, and so many of Muktuk’s amazing pups!

I had the opportunity several years ago to dog sled in Quebec for a few hours. I remember this first experience dog sledding was super challenging. I remember nearly missing trees! I wasn’t sure what to expect in the Yukon.

This time, learning to dog sled with Muktuk was challenging and an amazing learning experience! To be fair, we had more time to get a verbal overview with some of the equipment, attempt sledding, get feedback and practice several more times over the course of several days. Practice makes better, right?! I would also add “practice makes me more relaxed”. 

We also had a super cool teacher who had a wonderful sense of humour. Jeff was a ski guide before becoming co-owner and guide at Muktuk. His relaxed, subtle but potent phrases made for some good funnies. Combine Jeff’s good jokes with his love of dogs, and we became part of a positive atmosphere for good learning and a good time. 

Some of my key dog sledding takeaways that I want to share are:
1) Learning when to break is really important for reasons not so obvious.
2) A dog sledder doesn’t always stay on their sled’s runners but they never let go of their sled.
3) Always take care of my dog team first.

Remember when I said my first experience dog sledding was trying to just avoid trees? If I had known when to break, I might have fared better. Breaking is not just for slowing down my team to prevent me from hitting something.
​Here are a few less obvious reasons:

​a) Breaking going around a turn makes me and my sled run into my inside corner and if that is a corner where a tree lives - ouch! Jeff’s advice is to break before you start to turn and then let up on the break and let yourself slide through the turn.

​b) Breaking helps me pace my dog team. Some dogs get so excited, they forget to check their Garmin and go super fast. Breaking helps remind my team to keep a steady pace that won’t tire everyone out as fast. ​

​c) Finally, most importantly, I found breaking helps keep my sled aligned with my dog team. For example, if I was going down a really steep hill, the sled would often start skidding and traveling faster than my dog team. By using the break, I slowed the sled down, keeping the lines between the sled and dogs tight so the sled didn’t get out of control and 1) potentially run into the dogs, 2) tip the sled or 3) run the sled off course.

​If you have never heard of Lance Mackey, check out the film “The Great Alone”. The Great Alone is an amazing story of the champion dog sledder’s struggles and triumphs personally and in dog sledding. In the film, Lance is frequently seen helping his dogs move their sled. He is seen running beside the sled on a steep uphill section so the dogs don’t have to pull him up the hill too. He’s seen kicking with one foot when the added momentum will help move the sled. Sometimes you see Lance shift his weight off center and stick a foot out off the sled runners to help keep the sled upright. All the while, however, you never see Lance let go of his sled.

Why is letting go of my sled not a good idea? There are a few reasons but the funniest one is that I’ll likely never get my sled or dogs back! Unless my team and I are very well trained, like at the level of Lance Mackey and his team, my dogs may not realize that I am no longer on the back of the sled! Or, as Jeff said, my dogs will take a peek back at me flailing around in the snow, chuckle and keep running ;) Therefore, I should help my dogs out, but I should never let go of my sled unless it’s tied to a tree or I have a sled hook secure in the snow!

​This goes without saying, right? This takeaway is the basis for all other takeaways I’ve mentioned thus far! Not only does taking care of my dogs first apply when I’m sledding, it also applies when my sled is parked.

​We were travelling multiple days via dog sled and camping at night. When we stopped for the night and before we ate, Jeff would boil some snow water on the campfire for thawing purposes. He’d transfer the hot water to coolers to thaw the frozen meat for the dogs. We then dished out the thawed meat to each dog. We did the same in the morning before eating ourselves. As some of you might know, Mike and I are vegan. The meat thawing and distribution, as you can imagine, did turn my stomach but only for a few minutes! After spending a full day on the trail sledding, we were pretty hungry in the evening and in the morning!

​Right after dinner and before getting into our sleeping bags, we would help our dogs into their dog blankets to help keep them warmer. If there was straw available, we would put straw down for the dogs to make a bed. It is amazing how much warmer it is sleeping on straw, which separates you from the frozen ground. 

​Another aspect of the film “The Great Alone” that really impressed me and applies here is the amazing level of care provided for the dogs that take part in the northern dog sled races. The dogs are treated like athletes, just like the humans. Full body checkups by licensed veterinarians are required before dogs are allowed to participate and checkups are done at several locations during the longer races to ensure the dogs are still fit to race.

​To conclude, Manuela and Jeff lead and run a wonderful business that supports learning and adventure with dogs. I love how Muktuk is an organization that truly integrates their values into their daily operations and practices with guests. Mike and I truly appreciate our Muktuk experience dog sledding and winter camping. If you are game for an adventure and you love dogs, Muktuk might be a good place for you!

​In the last several months, I’ve been inspired to reconsider what my work could look like in a post pandemic environment. There are options to work remotely and with that option there are opportunities! Maybe you’re thinking about moving to be closer to family or to a more remote location and want to keep your job or maybe you want to travel and work at the same time! 

I’ve moved to several cities across Canada for different reasons over the last 15 years. I found myself moving to British Columbia back in 2009 with a sense of adventure having never lived on the west coast of Canada (I am an Ontario lady). I also found myself moving to Alberta in 2018 for a job. Although both moves had very different objectives and I felt differently about both of them, I ended up pursuing similar ways to feel connected. Even in a COVID-touched world where masks might be the new norm for some time, there will be opportunities to explore and connect with others. If you find yourself moving to a new city to take advantage of an opportunity, here are a few tips I’ve learned and practice to feel more at home.

I have found walking or jogging is slower than driving (and healthier than sitting in a car). When I’m moving slower, I’m able to take in more of my surroundings and get a good sense of the area. After my move to Barrie Ontario from Victoria British Columbia in 2015, I was surprised at all the hidden trails, beautiful waterfront, cool shops that I found when jogging around that I would likely not have seen if I hadn’t been on foot. I would go out and enjoy those same trails again when I needed to connect with nature and relax. I would feel connected to people in the community when I knew the places locals were referring to in conversation and I would feel good sharing my first hand experience.  

In my case, I like running, biking, yoga, and reading. Before my more recent move to Wainwright Alberta in 2018, I found a local running club online and asked to join. Subsequently when talking with my new Wainwright colleagues at work, they mentioned one of our clients led the local running club and did long distance triathlons. I had completed some shorter distance triathlons so when I met our client, I asked about their experience with triathlon; we were able to share our own stories of the sport. My client connection made attending the first running club group run easier. I ended up meeting lots of active people with the club including a doctor, who happened to be taking on more clients! Win win! I was loving the connection with people with similar interests and I found my much needed family doctor pretty quickly! 

​I’ve found being in a leading position gives me a good reason to talk to lots of people and show them I’m interested in getting involved and being part of their community. When I moved to Alberta, the leader of the running club mentioned in conversation that they were looking for help organizing their running races. I was aware that if I volunteered, I’d make a wonderful impression as well as possibly new friends. Also, I could tell that our client was a little hesitant about me during our first conversation. I had moved from a larger city to a smaller town for work so I was considered a true outsider. I knew I needed to provide something of value to the town outside of work in order to prove I genuinely wanted to be there. So, I volunteered to be the director of one of the club’s running races. I had lots of help (and contacts) from the previous volunteers. The race was a success in a few ways; not only did the race turn out lots of people, I felt excited about using my leadership position as a platform to encourage those at the race to check out the newly opened yoga studio. My new client was happy with the race and our partnership at work turned into a collaborative one. 

After my move back to Barrie in 2020, I remember going for a run in Simcoe forest. While I was running I distinctly remember a very comforting feeling come over me. I felt like I belonged. I’ve run in so many places, but this feeling was different. I’ll never forget that feeling of belonging. If a move is in your future or if you’ve already moved and want to feel more settled in your new city or town, I encourage you to go for a jog and explore, join a group and take on a manageable leading role. I guarantee you’ll feel more settled and connected to your new surroundings.   

Cher has lived in Scarborough ON, Kingston ON, Halifax NS, Victoria BC, Wainwright AB and Barrie ON

I want to thank Lyndsay Barrett for helping with the editing of this post.