Come experience winter in the northwoods of Minnesota with the very best ambassadors of snow
and outdoor enthusiasts—Alaskan Huskies! Dogsledding is an open invitation to wildness and
terrific fun. Our dogs are skilled veterans, patient and well versed in working with “rookies.” They
are friendly and huggable and extremely well cared for (following trips, many women declare they
want to be reincarnated as one of our sled dogs).
This year’s trip offers an extra special feature. We’ll spend a couple days at our base camp where
you’ll learn to harness the dogs, drive the sled, and generally get fully absorbed in the fun and wild
lifestyle of mushing. On Sunday, we’ll head to Duluth to help at the start of the Beargrease Sled Dog
Race, a 400 mile marathon and 150 mile mid-distance race. We’ll help get the dogs and mushers to
the starting line and generally be available to some of the mushers before the race. Then we’ll head
to a checkpoint and watch part of the race. On Monday, we’ll be back at our base camp for another
morning of mushing before heading home after lunch.
Your accommodations are cozy and warm--a bunkhouse cabin nestled in the woods with comfy beds and a warm woodstove. The Finnish sauna is right down the trail, complete with aromatic pine and juniper oils. We gather at the main cabin to eat delicious meals, share stories of the day, or cozy up with one of the retired sled dogs that lives inside (on the couch). The beautiful northwoods trails are private and groomed meticulously.
Your
guides for this trip are long-time mushers and teachers who love to share this incredible sport and way of life with you. Kathleen Anderson has been homesteading in northern Minnesota for over 30 years and currently has 40 sled dogs. Chris Heeter has been mushing, teaching dogsledding, and speaking on teamwork with sled dog analogies also for decades.
Though you do not need any prior dogsledding experience, know
that the dogs are large and strong, and will likely
pull you rather hard and perhaps knock you down a time
or two in their enthusiasm to get to the sled or give
you a hug. Driving the sled requires a little
balance and a little upper body strength, but mostly
it takes an adventurous spirit. Women of many
ages and shapes and sizes have joined us and fallen
in love with dogsledding!
The Wild Institute carefully designs trips that
combine fun and adventure, with time to relax and
unwind. Many women choose our trips, in part, out of a desire for some quiet reflection time, the camaraderie of other wonderful women, and to connect with nature. This trip combines the joy of romping in the snow with the introspection of the hibernating season. Activities include: dogsledding, ski-jouring, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing; and plenty of time to simply relax and enjoy the silence of the northwoods in the winter, or cozy up with a book by the woodstove.
What to bring: When you register, you’ll receive a detailed packing list, so you’ll be sure to have what you need. We stay in a cozy cabin with a woodstove. You bring only your personal gear, sleeping bag, and skis/snowshoes (if you have them).
How in shape do I need to be: Though many women use their trip as motivation to get in better shape
before they go, no experience or particular level of fitness is necessary for this trip. The dogs are very enthusiastic, so it takes some strength to lead them to the sled. Driving the sled is mostly about leaning and balance. All other activities (skiing, snowshoeing, ski-jouring, etc.) are optional.
Weather: January in northern Minnesota is more variable than you might imagine. Past trips have experienced temperatures below zero and into the 20’s. Your packing list will help you be prepared for
all occasions, with the warm cabin for eating, sleeping, and relaxing.
Meals: Food and comfort matter! Play outside…eat a lot, one of the gifts of winter activities. Delicious
meals prepared mostly from the organic gardens, chickens and turkeys that are raised right at the
homestead.
What does my trip fee cover: Your trip fee of $695 includes a cook, dogs, equipment, fabulous and
hearty food, lodging, and guides with decades of experience.
Group size: Minimum of 5, maximum of 10
Schedule: Arrive at 1:00 on Friday, January 27. We’ll get started by introducing you to the wonderful
dogs. The rest of the trip will be filled with dogsledding, skiing, snowshoeing, taking sauna, eating fabulous meals, relaxing by the woodstove, and helping out at the Beargrease Sled Dog Race. The trip ends on Monday, January 30 after lunch.
Location: The trip is located at Wintermoon in Brimson, outside of Two Harbors in northeastern
Minnesota. It is Kathleen Anderson’s home, centered around her 35+ sled dogs and a beautiful Finnish homestead that she re-built. Nestled deep in the northwoods, with solar panels, hand pump,
woodstoves, Finnish sauna, and a comfortable outhouse (no kidding), you will be a part of a much
simpler, less complicated way of life.
Transportation: Brimson, MN is about 200 miles north of Minneapolis/St. Paul. If you are driving from
the Twin Cities, plan on about a four and a half hour drive. If you are flying, the closest airport is in Duluth, MN (about 55 miles east of Brimson). When you register, we’ll send more travel info as well as the names of other women on the trip so you can carpool or coordinate travel plans.
Payment information:Your $200 deposit is not refundable. If you must cancel, please do so in writing.
If you cancel 90 days prior to the trip or more, the balance of your trip fee is refundable; 60 to 89 days, the balance of your trip fee is transferable to any other Wild Institute trip through the end of the following year; 0-59 days, the trip fee is not refundable or transferable. We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance so that you can recover your losses should you need to cancel or be evacuated from a trip. We recommend either Travel Insured, 800-243-3174, or CSA Travel Protect, 800-348-9505. The Wild Institute reserves the right to alter trip plans due to severe weather, water/snow conditions, or other unforeseen circumstances.
How do I sign up: A deposit of $200 holds your spot, and payment in full is due by December 4, 2011.
With your deposit, please send name, address, phone, and e-mail address to:
The Wild Institute
16401 Buchanan St NE
Ham Lake, MN 55304
Click Here to view and print registration form
(This document requires Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view.)
Back to top
