| On a crisp winter day, our coldest day so
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| | the dogs can be a bit mischievous and may
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| far, with a brilliant blue sky, I got
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| | take off on you. On uphill runs it is
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| going early at about 7:15 am and drove
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| | recommended that the sled driver get off
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| about 20 minutes from Banff to the
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| | and run beside the sled so the dogs have
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| tourist town of Canmore. This mountain
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| | to pull less weight. Well, now that our
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| town is located about an hour from
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| | briefing was coming to an end, the
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| Calgary, just 5 minutes outside the gates
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| | excitement was building, both among the
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| to the Banff National Park and is part of
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| | human passengers/drivers as well as among
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| Kananaskis County , one of the main
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| | the dogs. 5 teams of Alaskan huskies were
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| recreational areas just outside of
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| | raring to go and towards the end of the
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| Calgary. The Nakiska Ski area is not far
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| | safety presentation there was lots of
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| from Canmore and it played host to the
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| | barking, yelping, howling and commotion,
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| alpine events during the 1988 Calgary
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| | indicating that the dogs were indeed
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| Winter Olympics. Canmore is nestled deep
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| | ready to take us out on our big
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| inside the Bow Valley beneath the Front
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| | adventure. So I sat down inside the
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| Ranges of the Canadian Rockies. Due to
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| | comfortably cushioned sled and Natalie
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| the beauty of the surrounding wilderness
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| | zipped me into a sleeping bag to keep me
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| areas, several Hollywood movies have been
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| | warm. All the teams were now ready to go
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| filmed here, including movies such as
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| | and Natalie issued the key command "Hike
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| Legends of the Fall and Dances with
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| | up, puppies!" and off we went through a
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| Wolves. The development of this area
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| | beautiful narrow forest trail that opened
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| really took off when the Canadian Pacific
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| | up into a clearing from where you had a
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| Railway (CPR) constructed its railway
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| | gorgeous view of the imposing mountain
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| line through the mountains in 1888,
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| | range behind. Then we went down a series
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| providing convenient access to mining
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| | of hills and I got bounced a bit in the
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| companies looking to tap into the area's
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| | sled, fortunately the sled's and my own
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| rich coal deposits. Canmore was founded
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| | built-in cushioning protected my rear end
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| shortly after and attracted prospectors
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| | from most of the impact. There were a few
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| which were soon followed by hotels,
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| | spills in the amateur-driven sleds behind
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| restaurants and shops. The North West
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| | us, I guess first-time dog-sledding is
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| Mounted Police had an outpost here with a
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| | similar to any adventure sport in that it
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| "two man and two horse barrack" and at
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| | takes a bit of time to get the hang of
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| some point Canmore even had an opera
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| | it. But none of the spills were serious
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| house. Mining came to an end in 1979, but
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| | and once the initial challenges were
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| today Canmore has developed into a major
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| | overcome it was a smooth ride for
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| recreational centre that attracts
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| | everyone and we continued our beautiful
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| athletes, artists, nature lovers and
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| | journey through the forests above
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| adventure seekers. That was the category
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| | Canmore. After about half an hour our
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| that I fell into today, as I was seeking
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| | three teams on the 2-hour program had
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| out a truly unusual adventure: Dog
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| | reached the turnaround point and we
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| sledding! Punctually at 8:15 am I arrived
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| | arrived at a picturesque mountain lake
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| at the retail outlet of Snowy Owl
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| | called Goat Pond that was completely
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| Adventures to be included in their 2-hour
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| | surrounded by mountains. Now it was
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| "Power Hound Express" tour that was to
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| | picture time and Natalie kindly offered
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| start at 9 am. The retail outlet itself
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| | to take photos of all the sled teams.
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| features a variety of clothing,
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| | After a brief rest we were ready to
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| souvenirs, pictures and books with a dog
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| | continue on and Natalie asked me if I
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| sledding theme. I also rented big
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| | actually wanted to drive the sled myself.
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| insulated boots to make sure my feet
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| | By this time I was thoroughly comfortable
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| wouldn't get cold on this very brisk
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| | with the experience, so of course I
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| winter day. A group of about 9 or 10
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| | jumped at the idea. One of the passengers
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| people were ready to get out on the
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| | from another sled took my cozy spot
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| trails, to be pulled by a group of
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| | inside the sleeping bag, and Natalie and
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| enthusiastic canine athletes. Our group
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| | I each balanced ourselves on one of the
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| had travelers from various parts of
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| | rails of the sled, while our eager sled
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| Canada, Texas, England and Holland and
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| | dogs were pulling us onto the home
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| everybody was excited to get out there.
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| | stretch. Natalie told me a little about
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| Chris, our driver, packed us into a van
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| | herself, that she is a dog sledding
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| and up we went into the mountains. We
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| | instructor in the winter and a
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| drove by several extremely scenic
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| | construction worker in her brother's
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| drinking water reservoirs and about 20
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| | company in Northern Alberta in the
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| minutes later we arrived in the Spray
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| | summer. She seems like a thoroughly
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| Lakes area of Kananaskis County, very
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| | outdoorsy and adventurous woman who
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| close to the Three Sisters Hydroelectric
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| | really enjoys what she is doing. Our ride
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| Generating Station. The first thing we
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| | continued on beside a river until we
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| saw was the trailer with the transport
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| | reached the Three Sisters Hydroelectric
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| kennels for the sled dogs and five teams
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| | Power Station and finally returned to our
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| of enthusiastic canines were already
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| | starting point. Then it was time to pet
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| waiting for us. Jereme, one of our dog
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| | the dogs and take pictures of our eager
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| sledding guides, gave us a half hour
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| | transportation providers. The dogs are
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| safety presentation and instructions on
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| | amazingly friendly and from what I could
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| how to ride the sled. That's where my
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| | tell, they enjoyed the experience as much
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| first big surprise came in: I didn't
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| | as we humans did. Our exciting outing
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| realize that we ourselves would get a
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| | concluded with refreshments, hot apple
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| chance to drive the sled, I had assumed
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| | cider and "mystery cookies" beside a fire
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| that we'd simply be packed into the sled
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| | at West Side Camp where all the
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| and the guides would be driving us. But
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| | adventurers and our instructor had a
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| no, there are actually 3 options for
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| | chance to socialize and talk about our
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| dogsledding adventurers: you can sit
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| | experience. A photographer had also taken
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| comfortably inside the sled and be driven
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| | pictures of each dog sled team and this
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| by a guide; you can drive the dog team
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| | was an opportunity to buy some photos. In
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| one-on-one together with one of the
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| | addition to the 2 hour and half-day dog
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| instructors; or you can actually drive
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| | sled tours, Snowy Owl Aventures offers a
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| the sled dog team yourself with the
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| | variety of other unique adventures: Snowy
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| company of family and friends, following
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| | Owl also offers an 8 hour full-day
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| one of the instructors. So for all the
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| | program that includes instructions on how
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| real adventurers out there: this is an
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| | to track indigenous animals like wolves,
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| opportunity to get behind the sled and
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| | cougars and rabbits. Their 4-hour "Snowy
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| drive the dog sled team yourself! To get
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| | Mountain Experience" takes you back in
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| started I actually decided to play it
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| | time to a winter festival in local Inuit
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| safe and elected to sit down and let my
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| | and First Nations communities. Their 4.5
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| instructor Natalie handle the driving.
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| | hour "Bow Trail BBQ" combines a 2-hour
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| Since I was here to document this
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| | dog sled outing with a Western Style Ride
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| experience that would allow me to
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| | provided by horses, capped off by a
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| actually take photos and video clips of
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| | blazing bonfire in their "Donut Tent" for
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| this unique experience. Three of the dog
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| | storytelling. Their "Ghosts of Fortune
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| sled teams this morning had signed up for
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| | Mountain "program extends over 2 days and
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| the 2-hour program and 2 of those sleds
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| | 1 night and includes touring, kennel
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| were going to be driven by the
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| | visits and hearty meals. The nights are
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| participants themselves rather than the
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| | spent in a genuine, heated Sioux Indian
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| instructors. Two other teams were
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| | Tipi. Last but not least, the "Flight of
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| scheduled for the 4-hour "Sunfeather
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| | the Great Snowy Owl" lasts 4.5 hours and
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| Winterlude" program, this half-day
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| | takes you by helicopter into the
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| excursion is Snowy Owl's most popular
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| | wilderness of the Canadian Rockies before
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| ride. The safety instruction introduced
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| | spending a half-day touring by dog team.
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| us to the essential commands to get the
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| | Just shortly after 11 am our van driver
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| dogs going ("Hike!", or as Natalie would
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| | Chris arrived again with another batch of
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| say "Hike up, puppies!") and to get them
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| | adventurers from the village and it was
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| to stop ("Whoa" - in a deep voice) while
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| | time for us to wave a final goodbye to
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| stepping on the sled's brake. In between
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| | our canine friends and enjoy the scenic
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| it's a great idea to cheer on the dogs
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| | ride back into Canmore. Once back at the
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| with enthusiastic comments. Jereme also
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| | retail outlet I returned my boots and
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| explained that the dogs are Alaskan
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| | hopped back in the car to drive back to
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| Huskies, and most of them are a mixture
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| | Banff to pick up my husband so we could
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| of huskies or malamutes with other breeds
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| | go on our final half-day of skiing at
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| like border collies which makes for a
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| | Lake Louise. My two-hour Dog sledding
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| very enthusiastic, cooperative and smart
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| | adventure in the morning was the perfect
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| breed of dog. Jereme mentioned that it's
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| | start to an exciting winter day and it's
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| very important to step on the brake while
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| | certainly been one of the most unique and
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| riding downhill to slow the sled down,
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| | special adventures I have ever had a
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| and to lean right when heading into a
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| | chance to experience......
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| right-hand turn, and to lean to the left
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| | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web
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| when heading into a left-hand turn. The
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| | portal for unconventional travel &
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| key thing is never to let go of the sled
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| | cross-cultural connections.
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| or step off the brake when standing since
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| |
|
