Then you have a much higher tolerance for winter than I do, is all I’m saying.
In fact, despite or possibly because of having been born & raised in Michigan, the whole concept of ‘winter sports are fun’ always escaped me. But this event isn’t even about sport, though dogsledding is promised. That’s only a sport for the dogs*.
This off-grid adventure, set for Feb. 5 through 8, 2015, is for those who want to actively participate in every aspect of their experience — with the highlight being learning to run your own small team of sled dogs through miles and miles of beautiful trails in the remote wilderness of northern Minnesota. Step-by-step instruction is provided and there is an atmosphere of encouragement, support and team work. A lot goes into an off-grid, solar-powered lifestyle with sled dogs in a remote location and you will get to experience most aspects of it during your stay. In addition, if you have any energy left, there are numerous other activities available to you that include snow shoeing and cross country skiing.
I’m not criticizing – in fact I’m agog with respectful envy – but this sounds for all the world as if some boony-dweller has found a way to turn a lifestyle into a source of tourist income. With a limit of 4 participants, we’re clearly not talking about an established resort here.
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*Yes I know animal-rights types decry dog sleds. But I’ve been around them and I’m here to tell you the most outspokenly heartbroken creature on the planet is a sled dog that doesn’t get picked for the harness. I don’t know why they love it, but they love it.
The animal rights folks that decry dogsledding have never been around dogsleds and dogsledding teams.
They’ve never seen a dog absolutely piss itself with excitement at the idea of being hooked up to a sled.
These dogs are like my bird dog, Dutchess. They were bred for a specific purpose, and they damn well know it. How satisfying it must be to know, with absolute, unquestioning CERTAINTY that this thing right here? This thing my master lets me do?
This thing is the reason that I exist, and I love it. So much.
Dutchess is going bird hunting tomorrow. She saw me get the shotgun out last night to pack for the trip, and she’s been excited and whining the entire time between then and now. She’s so excited to go find a bird that she can’t even contain herself.
Most “animal rights” idiots don’t understand animals at all, and furthermore don’t give a damn. What they really want is to control people, and any excuse will do.
“some boony-dweller has found a way to turn a lifestyle into a source of tourist income. ” There you go Joel, the way to finance your future! “The Lair Dude Ranch”. Low carbon footprint eco-tourism with a unique twist. A unique shit-shoveling experience is available for a modest extra charge.
Amen, mommaliberty, amen indeed…
Ben said what I was going to. Add rat trapping, offing uppity chickens, laundry in 10 gallon buckets, and shooting forgotten weapons to the vacation. You have a lot to offer. Joel, you have an income stream!!! Add the eco-tourism experience to income from calendars and books and never worry again about money. Could you have imagined when you headed to the desert years ago that you would become an eco-tourism magnate and the dernier cri in vacations? Whooooo.
The what?
http://www.yourdictionary.com/dernier-cri
Fancy French for “the last word”.
Oh. Well, even if I say it in French I’m pretty sure I can’t pull off the Tom Sawyer thing with a straight face. Besides, I dislike tourists.
Be honest, Joel. You started typing “people” and then replaced that with “tourists” on second thought…
amirite? 🙂
Nonsense. There are, er, several people I don’t dislike at all. I could name five or even six without stopping to think about it. For very long.
I have sheepdogs, border collies. Leave a couple behind when I go out to move the flocks and they are almost suicidal. They just love their work in any weather.
Went to the Iditarod restart, one year, and let me tell you, the people were pretty excited, but the dogs were over the moon. Heck, even at the official start, they have to keep slowing ’em down so they don’t overheat in the relatively balmy Anchorage temperatures.
I tried to call my love, but I couldn’t hear a thing he said over the dogs yipping and howling and generally celebrating the fact the They Were Going To RACE!!!!! (And if you could have seen and heard those dogs, you’d know I left about fifty million exclamation points off their statements.)
Why do I have the feeling if you tried this, you’d mandate a non-refundable downpayment, and the balance would have to come in ammunition, delivered in hand? It’d reduce the hippest of t he hipsters and possibly narrow the field to somebody you wouldn’t take out behind the woodshed before the trip is up…