Looking for Adventure?

I was working on my article about Grand View Lodge and called Maury Duval for a few details. He's the one who took us dog sledding. Our rides were short and lots of fun but nothing compared to the trips he plans for people with more time, more money and more of an adventurous streak. He takes groups of up to nine people on combo dog sledding/winter camping treks to what he refers to as "the boundary waters." The excursions start from Ely in far north Minnesota and go up to the Canadian border. "We see wolves, moose, mink, eagles, otters and occasionally the elusive wolverine and we ice-fish for lake trout," he told me. "Our camping equipment is tested to minus 60 degrees so we stay warm. And we have great meals -- some outfitters just take cans of stuff like Dinty Moore stew. We have steak for dinner and" fresh baked biscuits with sausage gravy for breakfast." He suggests that first-timers take a two-day/one night trip to make sure they enjoy it. For others, he'll arrange longer outings. Talk about getting away from it all. This is an opportunity to travel in virgin territory. Sounds like an amazing opportunity. If you're interested, contact Maury Duval, All-American Sleddog Kennels, 218-828-4665.

Going to the Dogs

I can't believe I came home from frozen Minnesota only to hear the weather man say we're about to get a really bad winter storm - freezing rain/sleet mix. And it won't be fun like Minnesota. The dogsledding was a real highlight. We went in shifts - two of us riding on the sled, Maury Duval driving the team of 10 dogs. Maury made the sled himself using white ash. Cindy sat in back and I squished up against her as tight as I could get. With a shout of "hike" we took off on a groomed trail that wandered over the snow-covered golf course. At first the dogs squabbled amongst themselves, more interested in social and anti-social behavior, but they quickly settled down to business. We clipped along at about 12 mph. On one curve, the sled swung wide and we headed for a tree. Maury halted the dogs and Cindy and I clambered out so he could lift the sled out of the snow and back on the trail. We were just about to load back up when the dogs got impatient and took off. Maury grabbed the sled and, pulled off his feet, went skidding down the trail on his side. As he passed Cindy she heard him say, "This is not good!" He finally got the dogs stopped and we loaded up again. We were almost home when we slid around another corner and turned over. I toppled out, head first into the deep snow - getting snow in the eyeholes of my spiderman mask. I had to dig my new camera out of the drift. It survived like the little trouper it is. Maury mumbled something about more weight on the front of the sled making it tougher to turn. Hmmmm, I believe I was the weight on the front of the sled! I wish I knew how to operate the video feature on the camera. I would love to have recorded the sound of the dogs and their eagerness to get to work. They were truly amazing and this was an experience of a lifetime.