Snowy Trails
Dogsledding with heart in Ontario
Nestled in Ontario's Haliburton Highlands, less than three hours north of Toronto, lies a place where winter dreams come true.
Winterdance Dogsled Tours, located on 2,200 forested acres, offers visitors a chance to steer a dogsled through a snow-covered wilderness that often feels like travelling through a snow globe.
The experience attracts adventurers from all over the world — and it's not just the guests who are thrilled. The Siberian huskies and their owners, Hank DeBruin and Tanya McCready, are equally excited and passionate about the art of dogsledding.
Photo: Darren Lum
Photo: Darren Lum
The story of Winterdance began 25 years ago when Hank and Tanya moved to Haliburton to create a business rooted in their love of dogs and nature.
Starting with just seven huskies and two sleds, their kennel has now grown to house 125 dogs, including a dozen new puppies born earlier this year.
Photo: Winterdance
Photo: Winterdance
Winterdance offers guided excursions in various lengths — two-hour, half-day, full-day and moonlight tours — where adventurers of all ages are immersed in the Canadian wilderness while mushing along twisting trails through a forest of maple trees, pines and birch.
There are many challenges to running a successful and responsible dogsled business and Winterdance is just one of a handful of operators that continues to offer dogsledding in Ontario. When asked what it takes to navigate this business for 25 years, Tanya says it all comes down to love of the dogs and a commitment to giving them a lifelong home.
"For us, dogsledding is a lifestyle," she says. "And like most lifestyle businesses, it wouldn't make sense if you didn't absolutely love what you are doing."
Photo: Winterdance
Photo: Winterdance
Photo: Darren Lum
Photo: Darren Lum
Winterdance has been a family endeavour since its inception, with Hank and Tanya's four children — Logan, Dustyn, Michaela and Jessica — growing up alongside the business.
"They have all learned a work ethic, incredible compassion towards animals and the wilderness, and customer service as a result," Tanya says proudly.
Their family warmth and pride extend to their employees as well.
Ciara Pisano is one of the Winterdance guides and shares the family's passion for the dogs and her work. She is beginning her fourth season with the team.
"It gets me out of bed in the morning," she said. "Before I started working here, the two things that gave me life were enjoyment of the wilderness in every season and being a physically active person. Those two things light my inner fire. So being paid to do both while spending every day with the most loving dogs and incredibly down-to-earth people on top of it all is extremely fulfilling."
Photo: Darren Lum
Photo: Darren Lum
How does a dogsled team work? Scroll down to see all the parts of the team.
Anatomy of a Winterdance Dog Sled Team
At Winterdance, most sleds will be pulled by five huskies, who work as part of a well-trained team. When out on the trail, everyone is part of the team — even the visitors. That means that when the dogs are working harder to crest a hill, so are the people driving. It is a beautiful dance of skill, power and passion.
The Sled
The wooden sled consists of a seat for a passenger in the front and a standing position at the back for a driver.
The standing area comes equipped with an upright handle to hold and runners that extend out the back on the ground to stand on.
Like an old-fashioned child's sled, there is space between the runners for the feet to skateboard kick, run or walk, depending on what the trail demands.
There is also a metal bar with two spikes suspended at the back, which is for braking when pressed.
At the front of the sled is the brush bow, which is curved and acts as a bumper. It is designed to deflect brush, branches and obstacles.
The Line
The dogs are attached through their harnesses to a gangline that runs to the back of the sled.
Verbal commands are used by the musher in concert with driver actions, whether leaning into the turn by shifting his/her weight to the inside of the turn, or by applying the brake.
"Gee" means right, "haw" means left and "woah" means stop. Despite what you might believe from movies, the word 'mush' is not used by the Winterdance driver to get the dogs going. Instead, they use the word 'ahead' followed by a skateboard kick.
It is believed that the early French Canadian drivers said 'marche' (French for walk) to their dogs and it was mispronounced as 'mush' by English speakers.
The Dogs
The dog team consists of five dogs. The pair at the front are the "lead" dogs, responsible for listening to commands and guiding the team. They work closely with the driver (musher).
They are the first ones to come upon any obstacles on the trail and are trusted to make quick decisions.
The middle dog is called the "point" dog and helps to act as a bridge between the lead dogs and the wheel dogs, assisting in turns.
If more dogs are needed for a trip, the point dog might have a partner but in most cases, Winterdance uses one dog in the centre.
The pair of dogs closest to the sled are called the "wheel" dogs and they act as the power section.
Guides encourage all visitors to care for the dogs like their own and when driving the sled, it is essential to keep the gangline taut by applying the brake when it slackens.
Calling out the dogs by name for encouragement is recommended. Every single dog has a name, which correlates to their siblings. Each litter has a theme, such as the Marvel superhero pack, which includes dogs named Spidey, Thor, Hulk and Stark.
The owners say it is an honour to hear all the ways visitors have been impacted by the experience.
"We hear about the dogs, the wilderness and adventure, the rawness and authenticity of the experience," Tanya said, adding that many people end up coming multiple times.
"Seeing people's lives impacted by our huskies and their time out in the wilderness dogsledding is still one of the greatest joys we receive every winter."
Owners Hank and Tanya. Photo: Winterdance
Owners Hank and Tanya. Photo: Winterdance
Embrace Canada with Landsby
Landsby creates unique and immersive experiences that not only provide travellers with purposeful and enriching trips but aim to positively impact the communities being explored.
