One of the surprises I had planned for Alex’s 40th birthday weekend was a Dog Sledding tour. That morning, we had him ask questions and Clara would give answers to see if he could guess what we were doing. He guessed everything from snowmobile trips, a horse sleigh ride or a reindeer ride. I think he was quite surprised to find out we were going dog sledding.
I had reached out to a couple of different companies to get price quotes, but landed on Snowy Owl Dog Sled Tours. They were the best option for our family with two young children, as we could pay for just one sled, as they allow guests to drive the sled themselves after some brief instructions. Another tour company I reached out to, was driven by guides only and with 2 adults and 2 kids we would have had to pay for 2 sleds.
We arrived at their office location in downtown Canmore and then they transported us up to the Spray Lakes to begin the dog sledding tour. I really appreciated #SnowyOwlTours being so helpful with it being so cold. I was a bit apprehensive with it being about -20 to -25 C, but they actually offered complimentary rentals on their rentals of boots and gear because it was so cold. (They actually don’t even run the tour if it is -27 C, including windchill.) Other than the temperature, we really lucked out with the weather; the clouds cleared in the morning and it was sunny. With the fresh snow, it was truly a winter wonderland.
Upon arrival to the trailhead we had an opportunity to get to know the dogs on our team before a brief instruction on how to drive the sled, how to brake and the different commands for the dogs. Most important to thing to remember….Hold on at all times!
The kids and I loaded up in the sled and got covered with lamb-skinned and flannel blankets to keep us warm. It was COLD that day, but due to the temperature inversion, it was actually warmer at the trailhead in the mountains than in the town; however, it was still probably close to -20 C. But we had layered well and being bundled up in the sled we kept warm and comfortable. Alex, as the driver, kept warm as well – he actually had to keep active and even run for portions up the hill to help the team of dogs.
The dogs could tell it was go time and they were excited to go! They were all barking and jumping and when they were given the command 'Hike', which means Go, they dashed down the pathway.
We all loved the dog sled ride! The kids' favorite part was when the dogs and sled went down the small hills, as we picked up speed and went over some fun bumps.
The opportunity to hang out with the dogs was definitely a highlight for our dog-lover Clara.
We did get to stop at the halfway point on Spray lake to get out of the sled, and you had the opportunity to switch drivers . However, I was a nice wife and let the Birthday Boy drive for the second portion as well. Although at this point I think I just need to let the photos and video do the talking….
At the conclusion of the dog sled ride, we were able to thank our dogs for all their hard work and say goodbye. The kids even took a turn pretending they were driving. We concluded the tour with warming up by the fire and enjoying some delicious Hot Apple Cider and snacks.
Even though it was cold that day, we hardly noticed because we were having such a good time. It was such a unique experience and Snowy Owl Tours did an absolute AMAZING job with their tour!
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