Imagine. You and another passenger, seated in a simple wooden frame, bundled snuggly in soft blankets, watching as the scenery runs by—thanks to 10–12 well-trained dogs effortlessly pulling your sled across a snowy landscape. This is a snapshot into the smooth and timeless sport of dogsledding.
Owners, mushers and handlers all take a great amount of pride in their dogs. And if you ask around, you’ll find that they don’t just run dogs to make a living—they hook them up to the sled every winter to see them do two things they love: pull and run. After a morning or afternoon ride with a musher and his furry crew, you may give your house pet some leniency the next time he or she pulls a bit on the leash. After all, for some dogs, it’s simply their passion.
Many of the ski towns throughout Colorado have resident dogsledding companies. And after a few slope-side runs on skis or a snowboard, you may want to take a novel approach to winter fun and get acquainted with a team of sled dogs. Once aboard a sled, you'll discover a quaint and exciting way of experiencing Colorado’s backcountry.
Terrain on rides varies from forested thickets to open snowdrifts, depending on where the dogsleds are based. When booking a trip, it’s a good idea to ask what type of terrain you’ll be traversing. Because dogsledding companies are found in roughly the same locations as major ski resorts, their hours and months of operation usually mimic one another. This sport is weather dependent, and may start earlier or later in the year.
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Dogsledding Companies
In the Snow Activities