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		Adventure

A Howling and Frosty Good Time in Haliburton!

Growing up in Montreal taught me to love (or at least how to properly deal with) a good Canadian winter. Temperatures like -30 degrees were no match for our overwhelming desire to creatively use and manipulate the crazy mounds of snow that were much taller than we were. Getting to the curb from your front door after a good dump of the white stuff, required nothing less than a full body armour made of wool, fleece Gortex and one super-scooper shovel.

If I were to describe how Canadians “deal” with winter to a friend abroad, I would have to include such activities as ice skating on a lake (a spin around the rink at Harbourfront counts just as much as a tour around a lake in Muskoka), an adrenaline-filled hockey game (indoor or out), tobogganing or tubing, skiing (downhill or cross-country, no matter), building snow

men/forts/sculptures/mazes and, of course, enjoying a celebratory cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. Essentially, Canadian winter is synonymous to me with suiting up in your best cold-busting gear and getting out there to revel in the snow (in whichever form it suits you best). That said, there is also the alternative way to “deal” with winter, but staying home or inside just isn’t that fun.

To be honest, it is not until recent years that I have really learned about yet another exciting, quintessentially Canadian, way to enjoy the winter months—dog sledding! Rob and I have wanted to try it out for ourselves for a while now, but have yet to put down the cash to do so. During our trip to Quebec ’s Carnaval and Ice Hotel, we even visited a local kennel that offered an introductory tour. This February, we took a ride up the 400 to Haliburton’s Frost Festival and Dog Sled Derby, but still, no personal skills in the art of mushing.

When you think of dog races, you are probably imagining these pure blooded Siberian huskies.

While they are a huge part of the sport, there are also the Alaskan Huskies which are a mixture of different dogs.

Dog Sledding Basics

I have been told that being a driver of a dog sled team is much like being the coach of a sports team. You have to get out there and practice or play with your team, you have signals and commands that your team members understand, and your athletes get to know and trust you, depending upon you for support and enthusiasm.

The driver of the sled holds on to the gangline (the support rope to which all of the dogs are harnessed throughout the race and which is also connected to the sled) and has control of the brake which is connected to the sled. There are no reigns and control of the team is maintained by a combination of voice commands, steering and braking.

Essential commands include:

Go = Hike
Stop = Whoa
Right = Gee
Left = Haw

When going up hills, drivers are expected to help the dogs out by running up with the sled or at least pushing along with one foot.

Haliburton Highlands Dog Sled Derby

This year’s Haliburton Dog Sled Derby was held at the Delta Pinestone Resort, just a 5 minute drive up the road from the village of Haliburton on County Road #21. Though there were two parking lots, cars were lined along the roadside, indicating the popularity of this yearly event. With 6 different races on throughout the day, the resort was bustling with activity. There were people partaking of the charity bbq, skating on the frozen pond, and securing their ideal viewing spot along the trail. Even though we had just missed the 6 dog race, we planned to find a good spot to catch the big 8 dog race at the end of the day.

The resort itself was transformed into an ideal location for the event. The Delta’s 18-hole golf course was groomed with trails for the teams. Though the milder temperatures did a bit of damage to a few stretches of the course, derby organizers were able to patch it up in time for the first race. Dog sledding is truly a sport for all ages as the derby even offered a Youth race. Skijoring was also on the roster; a version of dog sledding wherein the driver is not on a sled but on a pair of skiis. Teams come to Haliburton from all over Ontario and the United States to compete for the $10,000 big prize.

These are the Alaskan Huskies which are actually preferred for racing. They are a mix of a bunch of different dogs to get the fastest dog possible. These include: wolf, staghound, foxhound, greyhound, whippet and doberman.

Purebred Siberian Huskies. These guys might not be the fastest, but they are definitely a crowd pleaser.

Being that this was our first experience of a dog sled derby, we really didn’t know what to expect. To say that we were pleasantly surprised, would be an understatement. It is so incredible to see how wild and excited the dog teams get at the start gate. Yipping, barking, hopping up and down, all psyched up for the big race—these dogs were just so pumped to get running! Teams depart from the start gate at 2 minute intervals, with a 30 second countdown to departure for each team. You would swear that these dogs could understand numbers, because with each ten seconds that passed, they got progressively more consumed by their own excitement. It was truly amazing to see these dogs in their element as they raced past us on the trail, their legs pumping so fast it seemed as though they were flying off the ground. Given that the trail was 6 miles in length, it wasn’t too long after the last team had left the start gate that the first team was veering round the final stretch of the course and across the finish line. Some teams were visibly ready for the race to be over, while other teams flew past the finish line and kept racing off into the distance.

Haliburton Dog Race - Childrens sled ride

Haliburton’s Frost Festival February 2009

Haliburton’s Frost Festival http://www.frostfest.ca/ is a prime example of how to properly celebrate the winter season. Skating on the lake, horse-drawn carriage rides, snowshoe relay races, ice sculpturing, and snowman making contests are just a few of the activities organized as part of this annual festival. And, yes, there were even short-track dog sled runs for kids! Despite the balmy temperatures in the big city (and a complete lack of snow in the middle of February), Haliburton was still covered in the fluffy stuff—a big relief for event organizers, no doubt. Haliburton is a very pretty place to visit all-year long, with a well-stocked main street and plenty of cottages for rent. It is a good three hour drive on the best of days from Toronto, so be sure to pack some drinks, food and to fill up that gas tank.

Haliburton Dog Race - Snowman competition

At the frost festival there was ice carving, snowman making competitions, a little snow slide for the kids, a horse drawn carriage, but the best part for us was watching (and meeting) the dogs from the races. Once they ran around the tiny track you could get in close and pet them if you wanted. While they were treated really nicely, you would tell they just wanted to run all day if we would just get out of their way...

Haliburton Dog Race - Wolf ice sculpture

Haliburton Dog Race - Horse Carriage ride

Haliburton Dog Race - Nancy with sled dog

For more information about Dog Racing in Haliburton

Haliburton’s Frost Festival

http://www.frostfest.ca/

Haliburton Highlands Dogsled Derby http://www.winterdance.com/race/index.html

Places to try Dog Sledding in Haliburton:

Winterdance

http://www.winterdance.com/

Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve

http://www.haliburtondogsledding.com/

A Howling and Frosty Good Time in Haliburton!