All Mush Dog Sledding Trips in Maine (3 Day)
On this trip you will travel by dog team both days coming and going from our traditional winter camp!
On this trip you will travel by dog team both days coming and going from our traditional winter camp!
| Date(s) | Price(s) |
|---|
After a Mushing 101 lesson on Saturday morning, we travel by dog sled across Umbagog Lake to one of our overnight camps. Camp consists of several wall tents with balsam fir bough floors, and each tent has a wood stove for warming and drying damp winter gear. While we’re there, you can snowshoe and/or cross-country ski from camp. If there’s interest, one of the guides can take you on a little winter tracking excursion looking for wildlife signs. The dog teams are picketed right in the middle of camp – so of course you are free to go visit them at any time, since they all think they are pets! On the return trip (conditions permitting), we take a different route across the lake. To view a trip itinerary, click here.
For trip itinerary, click here
Our trips are conducted in a very safety conscious way. We spend a lot of time prepping the trails before a trip by removing branches and blown down trees, packing the trails by snowmobile once we get snow. This is for the guest’s comfort and also to make it easier for the dogs to pull the sleds.
We go out before a trip to check the ice if we are planning to go on the lake by using an ice chisel to find out the thickness of the ice. We often mark our trails with fir boughs so we can find our old base in case of snow storms.
All of our trips are snowmobile supported so we can lighten the loads the dogs are pulling, provide a better trail and also have a snow vehicle in the case of an emergency.
We carry spare warm clothing, the ability to start fires in all conditions, and a satellite phone and two-way radios for communication among the dog sledding guides, cross country ski guides and snowmobile support drivers. We do check in calls once or twice a day to Mahoosuc’s home base so any emergencies from people’s homes can be relayed on to them on the trail.
We always carry a first aid kit for both humans and canines. Guides maintain current Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder and CPR certification.
If weather or trails are unsafe for any reason we can always adjust our itinerary to continue to conduct a safe and enjoyable experience for our guests and our canine friends.
Our trips are alcohol free for both guests and guides.
Meet at Mahoosuc Guide Service for 7 p.m. organizational/outfitting meeting.
Introductions, brief history of dog sledding.
Dressing for winter and staying warm.
Outfitting with winter gear.
Optional movie – Season of the Sled Dog – an introduction to mushing and the bush lifestyle.
Early breakfast.
Meet the sled dogs.
Load and transport to lake (12 miles).
Mushing 101 lesson.
Mush 6-8 miles into camp across Lake Umbagog.
Orientation to camp – getting water, personal hygiene, stove use, etc.
Early breakfast.
Leave camp as found it, resupply firewood into tents, fresh fir boughs (if needed).
Pack up and load sleds.
Mush a different route (conditions permitting) across Umbagog Lake to trailhead.
Shoreline lunch on Umbagog Lake.
Arrive back at Mahoosuc Guide Service between 3-4 p.m.
Deposits are non-refundable. From 0-14 days before trip starts, no money is refundable. Within 14-30 days before the trip starts, money is non-refundable, but you may apply the amount to another trip for one year (on a space available basis) minus your deposit. If you cancel within 14 days of the starting date, money is non-transferable and non-refundable. We go in all conditions including rain and thaws. If extreme weather conditions prevent you from traveling to Maine for your trip, you may use the full amount less the deposit for another trip for one year from the trip starting date. You may wish to purchase vacation insurance to cover this possibility. If you have to cancel due to Covid related issues we will not be able to give a refund, but will lock in the price of the trip and give a 2 year credit to be used toward any of our trips.
We only cancel a trip for safety reasons (i.e. flooding, bad ice, extreme windchill or lack of conditions – not enough snow or ice.) For canoe trips we may need to cancel due to safety issues such as extremely high or low water on rivers. If we need to cancel, we try to reschedule people to another trip. If we need to cancel for safety or lack of conditions you may choose to use the full amount toward another Mahoosuc trip for 2 years, or receive a 50% refund and apply the other half to a Mahoosuc trip for 2 years.
If you are having any symptoms of Covid before your trip please test yourself before arriving at Mahoosuc Guide Service and if positive contact us to reschedule your trip.
Mushing can be physically demanding. We cannot predict trail conditions as they change daily, sometimes hourly. You should be in good physical condition for an overnight dog sledding trip. The dogs are strong; however, there are limits to their pulling ability. Therefore, we ask individuals who weigh over 215 lbs. to contact us prior to sending in their reservation form.
For canoeing trips sometimes there are portages around falls and we need to carry all of our gear and canoes around them. The better shape you are in will make these carries easier for you.
Tips are appropriate for your guides. If you feel you would like to recognize how hard they worked to provide a safe and reliable trip for you. A common amount is 5% – %10 of your trip cost. At Mahoosuc we split tips evenly among whoever is working on the trip unless people want certain amounts to go directly to certain guides. In this case they should give it to them individually.
I want to thank you so much for that fantastic trip – I loved it! When we were standing in a circle to express words for the trip, one of mine was “test” and please know that I meant that in a positive way – one of my reasons why I came was to get out of my comfort zone and to experience primitive camping in whatever weather was blown in our direction. For all the rain and dampness the first couple of nights, it was well worth it. I loved being out in the middle of nowhere and look forward to doing it again!
