The great outdoors

I spent a large part of the weekend outside - walking around town and out to the Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park just outside of town on Saturday, and dogsledding on Sunday. The walk to Sylvia Grinnell Park is not too long, and Saturday was a beautiful day so it was great to get outside. I was rewarded with a gorgeous view of.....white. White overcast sky blending into white snow covered tundra blending into a white frozen river!! Yes, all three of those things are in the photo above! Apparently it is really pretty in the summer, but I guess I'll have to wait a few more months to see it!

This is me, Sharon and Janine on the dogsled on the way out to the spot where we stopped for a snack and a rest. The photo below is on the way back (I'm in the middle!). I'm sure you can guess when we had the wind at our backs and when it was in our faces!!


The style of dogsledding here is very different from other areas of Canada. The dogs themselves are bigger and sturdier, making them able to pull more weight and withstand the elements, but they are also slower than their more southerly counterparts. They are hooked up to the sled differently too - each dog has their own long lead, and they are attached to one point so they end up in a fan-like formation. This lets them pick their own individual paths over the snow and ice and also lets the musher release them all very quickly in the event of an emergency (like a polar bear encounter). The sleds, or komatiks, are long and flat and the musher sits at the front with gear and passengers behind.

The dogs were playful and friendly before and after our trek, but when they were harnessed they were 'working', and we were told not to approach or pet them. The pack leader, Scott, is too old to pull sleds now but still maintains his alpha male status - he decided to join our expidition and ran beside the rest of the dogs, just with no harness, until the very end when he either got annoyed with all of the 'young' dogs or just wanted to get home, and he ran ahead of us!

Oh, and good news - the Astro Theater is open. $12 for admission, $5 for a regular popcorn...so pretty much the same as down south!!