Dogsledding Mahoosuc Intro (3 Day)
This trip is a combination of dog sledding and cross country skiing. You will have the opportunity to mush one day and ski one day.
This trip is a combination of dog sledding and cross country skiing. You will have the opportunity to mush one day and ski one day.
| Date(s) | Price(s) |
|---|---|
| January 12-14, 2024 | $1300 |
| February 9-11, 2024 | $1300 |
| February 24-26, 2024 | $1300 |
| March 15-17, 2024 | $1300 |
Our three day weekend trips are in the Umbagog Lake and Mahoosuc Mountain areas. Activities for the Mahoosuc Intro trip includes one day of dog sledding and one day of cross country skiing with an option to snowshoe from camp. There will be two people per sled.
This trip begins at 7 p.m. the first day with an organizational meeting. We will outfit you with winter equipment that we provide such as boots, parkas, sleeping bags, gaiters, answer questions and review the itinerary. The following morning, we head out with the huskies for two days on the trail. We return around 4 p.m. on the last day. You will need to make reservations to stay with us in our Mahoosuc Mountain Lodge, farmhouse bed and breakfast, or a local hotel or bed and breakfast. This is not included in the trip price.
All you need to bring is warm clothing and a sense of adventure. We provide food and all specialized winter equipment, such as skis, poles, boots, parkas, gaiters, sleeping bags, and sleeping pad.
Winter travel can be physically challenging. The better shape you are in, the more you will enjoy your trip. If you are relatively inactive, start exercising at least one month before your trip. You should be able to ski or snowshoe four miles with a light pack of all of your personal clothing that you are bringing on the trip. While we’re on the trail, we camp in the traditional style canvas wall tents heated with wood stoves with balsam fir bough floors. 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 at North Newry at 7 p.m.
Meet other trip participants.
Guides give an overview of the weekend trip; answer questions; review route on map and safety considerations, and issue gear provided by MGS, such as insulated winter parkas, boots, sleeping bags, gaiters, duffel bags, and backpacks.
Meeting lasts around one to 1.5 hours.
Participants stay at Mahoosuc Mountain Lodge or B & B or motel for the night.
Arrive at MGS at designated time (8:30 or 9 a.m.).
Participants are packed and dressed, ready for the trail.
Load gear in vehicles, meet the sled dogs, and have an introductory talk about the dogs.
Load the dogs into the trucks and drive to trailhead. Half of the group skis into camp and half mushes to camp.
Skiers gear up and take off. Mushers have a lesson about dogsledding, then hook the dogs up to the sleds and mush into camp.
Once in camp, participants have a tour of the camp, chop a hole through the ice with an ice chisel for drinking water, and get settled into their tents. There is an opportunity to go snowshoeing, cross country skiing or looking for animal tracks. Feed the sled dogs, eat supper, tell tales of the day.
Guides talk about how to sleep warm, use of the wood stove, stories from the far north.
Bedtime.
After a hearty breakfast, we prepare the camp to be left in a nice way for the next group, resupply firewood, lay fresh balsam fir boughs.
Cross country skiers head off to ski to the trailhead.
Dog sledders prepare the sleds for mushing and head off to the trailhead.
Everyone meets at the vehicles at the trailhead for lunch.
Drive back to Mahoosuc, say good-bye to the dogs.
Return borrowed gear to Mahoosuc.
Say good-byes to other participants and your guides.
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.
As I grow older, it has become important to me that what I do each day contributes in a positive manner to the people I encounter and the world around me. In case you ever think about this or wonder if all the work you put into these trips is worth it, the answer is a resounding yes! Your trips ground people who may often find themselves caught up in the material world. Your trips are relaxing because they bring people closer to the earth. And, your trips are therapeutic, simply because it feels good to be in the company of animals who give so much and are happy to receive affection in return. It is easy for me to see why you have built your life around guiding and these magnificent dogs.
