Thrill of a Lifetime!

I did it! I drove a dogsled team through the woods! It was awesome! Since there are two people per sled, a musher and a passenger, I initially did not think that I would get to drive because Chris was going to start. I did pay attention to the brief driving and safety lesson, though since there was a chance that we could switch at the halfway point.

After getting settled in my sled, one of the guides came over and asked if we would both be interested in driving since neither of the two remaining women on our tour wanted to drive. I agreed to drive, and I am so glad that I did! 

Selfie before I was promoted to musher of my own team!

We went for a 10 km (just over 6 miles) ride through the snowy woods. It was spectacular, but not the tranquil experience of the reindeer sleigh. The dogs were barking anxiously to start. They could not wait to run!

The sleds do not have very elaborate braking and steering systems. Basically, you stand on two narrow runners that come out behind the sled. There is a metal brake attached to springs on the back of the sled. To slow down, you step on it with one foot and the claws dig into the snow and ice to slow down the dogs. To stop completely, you step harder - maybe with both feet. To help the dogs climb, you can run behind the sled or use one foot, like propelling a scooter. You just need to be able to get your feet back on the runners. To turn, you lean to the side. Turning was probably the most challenging, but our sled always stayed on the course.

This picture shows the area where the dogs stay. You can also get a sense of the daylight. This is about as daylight as it gets at this time of year. It was a little before noon when this was taken. 

We had six sleds going. The guides rode snowmobiles and monitored our progress. My team of dogs was fantastic! Aside from one dog who started to wrangle his way out of the harness, they behaved great! The team ahead of me was a little more feisty and would get themselves tangled and jumpy every time we slowed or stopped.

It was such a thrill! I wish I had some pictures of actually riding, but that wasn't possible as you can imagine.

My team after the run. They took turns flopping and rolling in the snow.

When we returned, we were able to walk through the kennel area. We all enjoyed meeting the three puppies!

The dogs are Siberian Huskies. This one is four months old. Look at those blue eyes!

We ended again with warm berry juice and a fire, but this time I was not cold at all.

I can't believe it is our last night in Lapland. Tonight we have dinner and then a bus ride to see the area and search for the northern lights. It has been cloudy with snow showers today, so it's probably not good conditions for the northern lights. Our flight back to Helsinki leaves at 9:20 AM tomorrow.