Experience dog sledding in Maine for a day with the nicest sled dogs you’ll ever meet. Guided dog sledding day trips on Umbagog Lake or gentle trails in the Mahoosuc Mountains are available Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and some weekends from mid-December through mid-March.
| Date(s) | Price(s) |
|---|---|
| Weekends & Xmas holiday week | $595 per person |
| Weekdays | $525 per person |
Day trips on Umbagog Lake or gentle trails in the Mahoosuc Mountains are available Tues. – Thurs. mid Dec. through mid March, depending on snow conditions. A hearty warm homemade lunch cooked over a campfire is included on day trips, as well as the use of our insulated winter parkas, warm boots and other cold-weather gear. We ask folks to arrive at 8:45 AM, and we’ll make sure that you are dressed warm enough for the day’s weather. Try not to be late, as the dogs will already be loaded in their dog boxes and will be “raring” to go! We finish up between 3-4 PM depending on trail conditions and normally cover 9-10 miles on our day trips. To view the complete day trip itinerary, click here.
We have some day trips available on weekends. Participants can be passengers or mush the team next to a guide depending on people’s abilities, desires, and trail conditions.
There is a weight limit of 180 lbs per person as we have limited dog power.
A $200 deposit per person is required to hold space and full payment one month before the trip.
Book early, because these trips fill fast.
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.
Guests arrive – please try not to be late as the dogs are usually loaded and waiting in their dog boxes on the truck.
Check clothing, lend out boots, insulated winter parkas, etc if need be.
Look at a map of where we are going.
Drive to the starting point, which is about a 15 – 20 minute drive.
Lesson about dog sledding, get the sleds ready, each sled has a sleeping bag and cushion.
Hook up the dogs, mush for about an hour or 1 1/2 hours to a lunch spot.
Make a campfire and serve a hot lunch on the trail.
This consist of thermoses of warm beverages (tea, hot chocolate), homemade soup, bagels, snacks and homemade cookies.
The dogs rest.
After lunch we hook up the dogs and mush back to the trailhead about the same distance that we came.
Load them into the trucks, drive back to Mahoosuc Guide Service.
Arrive back at Mahoosuc Guide Service.
It is usually 2 people per sled. How we divide people up depends on the trail conditions, size of the people, number of dogs in the team, people’s desires and abilities. It is important to have strength to hold on to stand on the back and balance to stand on one runner. If you fall off and let go the dogs will keep on running until they catch another team. This is to be avoided!
We never decide who goes with which sled until we meet our guests and see what the trail conditions are like for the day.
We take personal checks or paypal, no credit cards.
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 necessary we may need to change the itinerary to a river or route that is passable from the trip you signed up for due to the extremes of climate change (i.e. low water, flooding). 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 use the full amount toward another 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 am still back in the moment when the only sounds are the soft shush of the sleds on the lake and the rhythmic pacing of the dogs pulling us. Everything in the world is focused on their effort. Everything is beautiful and in harmony. I am very grateful and filled with joy.
