Dogsledding: Let's Go Dashing Through the Snow

One of the most popular winter experiences at Nemacolin is dogsledding. Overnight guests and members truly clamor for this experience, but there are others that love it even more — the dogs!

At this time, Nemacolin is home to more than a dozen sled dogs. Do you have this experience reserved for your next Nemacolin resort getaway? If so, you’re probably excited. As you’ll see when the dogs get dressed in their harnesses for your ride, they are excited, too! The Wildlife Team likes to say that every dogsledding run for the dogs is like their birthday and Christmas morning wrapped up in one. Their big hearts and enthusiasm will win you over before the sled begins moving.

Dogsledding at Nemacolin

The Wildlife Adventures Team at the resort offers dogsledding from the end of November through March, with the weather as a determining factor. Snow is one element, but the temperature is even more so. Once real-feel temperatures reach 40˚F or below (4˚C), the pups are ready to go, go, go. The Nemacolin team is a group of working dogs, and for the safety of the animals, that real-feel temp is a safe threshold for the work they do. It can be disappointing to a guest to have the experience canceled or postponed, but it’s done for the dogs’ safety when the weather is too warm for them to risk overheating.

When the temperatures are right but the snow hasn’t yet covered the ground, a team of 9-12 dogs will pull a Fritz Dyck Touri cart over the grassy fields and meadows along the Mystic Rock and Shepherd’s Rock golf courses, past Falling Rock, and along the former polo field at the resort. The cart (pictured above) can handle the grass, mud, water, and light snow giving riders a thrill! A musher serves as a safety guide for guests and dogs, and guests are seated in one or both of the seats (with weight considerations). A resort Club Car made for the terrain follows along to assist the musher and dog team and to carry additional guests in the same party.

When the snow falls to a solid thickness, the sled comes out. Instead of wheels, the dogsled has runners that glide over the snow. The ride’s scenery is similar to the three-mile course on the Touri Cart, yet the path and course differ to handle the sled’s runners. No matter the course, cart, or sled, the ride is exhilarating during this unique experience.

Many of the dogs at Nemacolin are from generations of pups working at the resort. Others come from long lines of dogs who have pulled sleds, raced, and worked across the snowy parts of the United States. At Nemacolin, you’ll see Alaskan-Type Huskies and an Elkhound mix. The gene pool from this mixed breed is diverse, and you’ll see that in their size, personality, coat, and look. In other parts of the world, a number of different breeds serve as sled dogs: Siberian Husky, Alaskan Husky, Samoyed, Alaskan Malamute, Chinook, Norwegian Elkhounds, and more.

Dogsledding Terminology

Let’s become familiar with some dogsledding terminology:

Touri Cart:  The dogsledding vehicle Nemacolin uses most frequently.
Sled:  The dogsledding vehicle used when there’s a good snowpack.
Hike:  Go!
Gee:  Go right!
Haw:  Go left!
Musher:  The person controlling and giving instructions to the dogs.
Lead Position:  The dog that listens to commands and pulls the least amount of weight.
Swing Position:  The dogs who help turn the team with placement behind the lead position.
Team Position:  The dogs in the middle keeping the line tight and maintaining speed.
Wheel Position:  The back four dogs pulling the most weight. These dogs have physical strength and tenacity as the engines of the team, pulling more weight than the other dogs.
Gangline:  The line that attaches the dogs to the cart or sled.
Mush:  This word isn’t a dogsledding term to make the dogs go. Movies about dogsledding often use it, but dogsledding teams don’t. A musher is a person on the sled or cart telling the dogs where to go, and hike actually means go!

Meet the Dogs

And now let’s get to know some of the dogs you may encounter: