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Announcing our women's only Maine Winter Cabin Adventure! Four days of dog sledding at our cabin in Maine.
Do you yearn for silence? Do you love the sound of the wind whispering through the trees? Do you love dogs? Come experience dog sledding, sled dogs, and the peacefulness of the north Maine woods at the Maryland Sled Dog Adventures cabin in Starks, Maine during our special Maine Winter Cabin Adventure (MWCA). Email catherine@marylanddogsledding.com to register for this program.
This special four day long dog sledding adventure will be held February 18, 2011 through February 21, 2011 at the Maryland Sled Dog Adventures' cabin in Starks, Maine and will include opportunities to dog sled, skijor, cross country ski, and snow shoe. Participants will have hands on opportunities to learn how to drive their own dog team through the scenic solitude of the north Maine woods. A special photo gallery features recent images from around the cabin.
Our Maine Winter Cabin Adventure is designed to be a completely hands on, four day and three night, dog based, adventure where women learn how, using a step by step approach, in a non threatening environment, to actually drive a small one to four dog team of sled dogs. Participants will then go out and use the skills they have learned to drive a team of sled dogs on the trails surrounding the cabin. In addition to dog sledding, participants are also encouraged to try skijoring, cross country skiing and snow shoeing.
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What can you expect from your Maine dog sledding adventure? Dog sledding instruction on miles of scenic trails leaving from the cozy comfort of the Maryland Sled Dog Adventures' cabin. During this adventure, you will be immersed in learning and living a hands on dog sledding adventure. |
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In addition to dog sledding, participants are encouraged to try cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and skijoring. Cross country skiing is an excellent way to see the countryside. If you would like to cross country ski, please plan on bringing your own cross country skis, poles and boots. For additional gear requirements, please visit our gear list. |
Skijoring is cross country skiing while a dog (or two) pulls you. It is an exhilarating and fast growing winter sport combining dog sledding and cross country skiing. Skijoring, literally meaning "ski driving" in Norwegian and allows a dog and owner to exercise together while enjoying the outdoors. The skier wears a belt around her waist while a six to eight foot line connects to the dog(s)' x-back harness(es) and attaches to the skier's belt. If you can imagine yourself on a beautiful winter's day gliding behind your canine companion down a tree lined trail, then skijoring is for you. Come learn all about skijoring from Eric and his fuzzy canine friends. To skijor, you will need to bring your own cross country skis, poles, and boots and will need to demonstrate certain basic skiing skills prior to skijoring with a sled dog. |
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Snowshoeing is an easy way to explore a winter wonderland. If you can walk, you can probably snow shoe. Snowshoes, unlike cross country skis or dog sleds, can be used in areas where the snow has not been packed down. Snowshoeing is a great cardiovascular workout! Snow shoes can be purchased inexpensively in stores or online from LL Bean or REI. For additional information on snow shoes, please visit our Maine Winter Cabin Adventure gear list. |
Other activities include trying to identify the fresh animal tracks that are seen around the cabin every morning. This part of Maine is home to abundant wild life including bear, moose, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and deer. Prints and scat are frequently spotted around the cabin. |
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The Maine Winter Cabin Adventure promises to be an exciting event. Although participants will be active dog sledding much of the day, there will be plenty of opportunities to relax in front of the toasty warm wood stove with a book or blanket. |
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What can you hope to gain from choosing this dog sledding adventure? New friends, respect for our wonderful sled dogs, a basic understanding of dog sledding, lots of doggy kisses, and a deeper understanding and love for the outdoors. |
The three bedroom, 1200 square foot cabin is well equipped with propane heat, a wood stove, electricity, indoor plumbing (not always the case in rural Maine!), a full kitchen, full bath, and other amenities. There is no TV, internet, or phone and cell phone coverage is spotty at best. The nearest towns to Starks, Maine are Madison, Maine (8 miles), Farmington, Maine (13 miles), and Skowhegan, Maine (19 miles). The cabin is nestled in the trees on approximately two acres and is situated on a town maintained (plowed) dirt road. Dog sledding, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing trails begin 300 feet from the cabin and criss cross the Maine countryside for hundreds of miles.
During your four day dog sledding adventure, you will rest in comfort in our brand new Maine log cabin situated in the small town of Starks, Maine. Enjoy the coziness of living with five happy sled dogs. Participants will be divided between two bedrooms and will be sharing a bathroom with all others in attendance. Sleeping arrangements will be a mixture of cots, beds, and bunks.
Who should attend our women's dog sledding Maine Winter Cabin Adventure? If you love dogs, have an adventurous nature, are open to new experiences, have always wanted to learn about dog sledding and sled dogs, and love the great outdoors, then this trip is for you. Our Maine Winter Cabin Adventure is ideal for individual women or mother-daughter pairs.
Participants should be in good physical shape and expect to be active during the program. Participants must be at least 12 years of age. Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a participating adult.
Can I physically do this trip? While we are happy to tailor this trip to different ability levels, participants should be in good physical shape and capable of aerobic and anaerobic activity (walking, running short distances, pedaling the dog sled, etc.). Our Maine Winter Cabin Adventure also requires the following: (1) you must be able to lift at least 25 pounds; and (2) you must be able to easily lift your legs 12 inches off the ground, up and over a moving object. Should you have any questions or concerns about whether you can physically do our dog sledding Maine Winter Cabin Adventure, please email Catherine at catherine@marylanddogsledding.com
Cost is $795 per person. A $200 non refundable deposit is due at the time of registration. To secure your space in our women's Maine Winter Cabin Adventure, you must: (1) email catherine@marylanddogsledding.com indicating that you would like to register; (2) complete and return our Maine Winter Cabin Adventure registration form; (3) complete and sign our waiver; and (4) mail your $200 non refundable deposit to Maryland Sled Dog Adventures LLC. Please note that we do not accept credit cards. All checks should be payable to Maryland Sled Dog Adventures LLC. Your balance, $595, is due by January 7, 2011. Any cancellations after this date are non refundable.
To maintain the intimate nature of our Maine Winter Cabin Adventure and to ensure sufficient hands-on experiences dog sledding for each participant with the sled dogs, our Maine Winter Cabin Adventure is limited to just six participants.
Your fee includes cozy and comfortable lodging for four nights in our brand new log cabin, all of your meals while attending our Maine Winter Cabin Adventure, and unlimited doggy kisses. Meals will be served family style and will be prepared by amateur chef and sled dog mom, Catherine, with assistance from sous chef and sled dog dad, Eric.
We hope to see you at our women's only Maine Winter Cabin Adventure! |
