Siberian Dog Sledding

Another thing to do before you die is go dog sledding. Wally hated it, John loved it and I liked it but but wasn't sorry when the 40 minute/20km trip ended. I was expecting a peaceful glide across the snow but it was so bumpy I was continually thrown in the air and a couple of times the sled left the ground completely. John's crashed and he was thrown out into the snow. I didn't think I would have any hope of getting a blip but after a while I gripped my bag between my knees and gingerly extracted the camera. Luckily I had pre set a fast shutter speed and I just fired off a few shots at random. They came out remarkably well under the circumstances. Still, it was an exhilarating experience rushing through the pine and birch forest, almost expecting to see wolves lurking. There were 7 dogs per sled and they obviously love it. The carry on at the start while the mushers were selecting which dogs were to go was extraordinary. They were all lunging on their leads and howling to be chosen. The establishment has 48 dogs and they are obviously very well cared for. They run at 30 km/hr but it seemed much faster. Nor was it peaceful with the sled squeaking and thumping and the musher, who stands behind to drive while the passenger sits, roaring commands at the dogs as they try to go a different route, stop to do their morning business or get too friendly with the bitch in front. As Wally said, another one to tick on the bucket list.