European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Business Sno Bahs into fun for travellers by Christopher Reynolds los Angeles times the Meadow Lay blanketed in fresh snowfall. The wind Sang through the Trees. The sled groaned around a Bend. And in the path up ahead Goliath Uno and 10 other huskies and malamutes panted steam Clouds into the cold wind and leaned into  harnesses to drag me Home. It was Over too soon. That morning about a month ago was my first dog sled ride. Afterwards the 27-year-old Musher who held the reins behind me confessed that it was his first too. I Call my friends Back Home and say i la give you 200 guesses what i m doing " he told me. And by 307, they still Haven t got  but my Musher and i seem to be running behind the trendsetters in these matters. Dog sled businesses have Arisen in Winter resort areas across the United states. No one seems to be sure exactly How Many but i found companies in Alaska California Colorado Montana Minnesota and Wyoming. It s just gone nuts. I Don t know what the Deal is says Bill Snodgrass who has been running dogs near Jackson Hole Wyo., for three years. We get 10 times As Many Calls for dog rides now As we do for Snow machine  needing Snow most dog sled companies operate on the same schedule As ski resorts vying with hot air balloons bobsled and others for the off slopes time of skiers. Each has charms the dog sled Folk Promise the exhilaration of sliding through a Snow scape the quiet of a machine free journey and the companionship of working logs. Rides can Range from 30 minutes to four Days or More. Most operators rely on about a do in dogs to haul two seated customers per sled. The Musher stands in Back handling reins and Barking hike to urge the animals Forward. There s no whipping and nobody Ever says Mush it s gee to turn right a to turn left whoa to Stop. The word Mush apparently dates Back to an English speaker s misunderstanding of a French Canadian s i command to Mirr if to walk. At the midpoint in my ride which took place in hag a Colo., tin Crew offered hot chocolate and fresh pumpkin bread. Other outfitters offer full meals or overnight stays in  lodges some will teach customers How to drive a sled. My Rookie Musher Peter Haverson formerly of Hue Kin Hamshire England was closely watched by William Wally class proprietor of Mountain Musher dog sled rides . Box 1386, Eagle Colo. 81631. Class is a 36-year-old former truck Driver with a red Mustache and Long sideburns that at the end of a ride had ice dripping from them. He and his wife Denise have been at the business for four years depending mostly on erstwhile skiers from nearby Vail. In the last two years the classes say interest seems to have risen sharply. Smashing proclaimed British tourist Bill Ives alter his Jaunt Over the Hills and through the Meadow on the morning of my visit. The Bill was $400 for his family of four but that hardly gave him pause. You be got to do these things said Ives a Stock Speculator from outside London As he watched the mushers a harness the ussling and yelping dogs and Lead them Back to their pens. The tide prices May seem Steep. But since the dogs Don t work in warm weather it s Only a seasonal Enterprise for most entrepreneurs. Class holds Down a summer Job to make ends meet and stitches dog wounds himself to save veterinary Bills. One reason for sledding s rising profile could be the attention that competitions have gotten in recent years. Outside Alaska Veteran dog runners say the oldest biggest sled dog operation in the lower 48 is Kra Bolonik of Snowmass Village Colo., near Aspen. . Box 5517 Snowmass Village Colo., 81615. The business dates Back to 1974, when founder Dan Maceachen a Veteran id Tarod competitor was Given 50 dogs by Veteran dog sled operator Stuart Mace. Maceachen named his company for his first Lead dog in one of the Eskimo languages it is said Kra Bolonik Means Bushy eyebrows or White Man. Now there Are 250 dogs in the Kennel and the Kra Bolonik restaurant has been running since August 1982, offering lunches and dinners in the Winter dinners in the summer. The menu has included Elk Caribou wild boar and Moose a two hour eight mile ride lunch at the restaurant included costs $17.5 per adult. Here is an unscientific sampling of clog sled operations in other states California Paul Marvelly a 38-year-old new Sealander has run Doc sled adventures . Box 7791, Mammoth lakes Calif. 93546 since 1987, building his own sleds of Oak and Hickory. He runs 32 docs and offers a 25-Minutc sold ride just Over a mile for $35 per adult $19 for children 12 and under free for children under 3 accompanied by parents. One hour rides run $60 per adult ride and dinner packages run $73 if the meal is at the Mountainside Grill of the Mammoth Mountain Irin or $05 if the meal is at i he Odeler a More family oriented restaurant also at the inn. Alaska Roger Bliss a former id Tarod competitor who lives 45 Miles North of Anchorage has been running dogs commercially for 10 years Mush Alaska of. Box 871752, Vasilla Alaska 99687. I be keeps 25 dogs though he has Access to More and this Vear will offer hours from Jan. 15 to March 31. Packages include halt hour trips for $35 per person and overnight trips offering panoramic views of mount Mckinley. Prices for a two Day trip with meals and lodging in a wilderness Cabin begin at $375 per person. Minnesota Arleigh Jorgenson has been rat ing sled dogs for 25 of his 46 years. Six years ago he decided he had to put a financial base underneath what i was  i Lis first venture 15-minute rides at the foot of ski slopes in Uusen Minn. Has grown  business Arleigh Jorgenson sled dogs Box 667, Star route 1, grand Marais Minn. 55604 with 97 adult dogs a network of trails from his Kennel in grand Marais in the Northeast Corner of Minnesota and a wide variety of offerings. One hour sessions fetch $70 for a couple $50 or a single a four night Lodge to Lodge journey of about 120 Miles runs $840 per person meals Anil accommodations included. Montana for three years Jeff Ulsamer and Carol Bloodworth have run dog sled adventures Box 34, Gluey Mont. 59927about 20 Miles North of Whitefish 25 Miles North of big Mountain ski area. Before that Bloodworth says Ulsamer ran dogs m Colorado for 11 years i he business ii hides 50 dogs prices run $85 a couple for a 1 /2 to 2-hour ride $150 for one twice As Long. The longer route includes an Igloo Stop for a hot drink. Wyoming at least three operators Are  to be offering dog sled Roifes within a Day s drive of Jackson \ Lole. One of them is Washakie outfitting Box 1054, Dubois Wyo. 8251375 Miles Northeast of Jackson Hole. Owners Bill and Jackie Snodgrass Hae been running dogs there for three years using their 30 alaskan huskies to complement summer and fall pack Tours and big game Hunting excursions. Prices for two hour hours begin at $55. Tor $300, customers can ride All Day Hae dinner spend the night in a Mountain Cabin and ride Back for Bruni h at the starting Point about 30 Miles on the Trail in All. Dog sledding in t just for racing anymore like above in Austria. Or Dos sled business men in Winter resort areas across the United states. It s just gone nuts " says one Musher. Don t know what the Deal is. No smashing you be got to do these  Bill Ives British tourist race 4just for fun1 after main event is cancelled a Friend f u on Vith in a to Avn an Vudhi of the dogs is by sue Harper staff writer the dogs Ili till have their Day maybe. The German dog sled race championship originally slated for Jan. 30 and 31 in Tod Moos in Germany s Black Forest was cancelled because of Lack of Snow. Entrants however ill still have a Raa providing it snows but the Competition has a new name and a new schedule. The race is now bet for March 6 and 7 and is called the Tod Moos International dog sled race said Siegand Bosinger Musher and spokesman. The March race is not a sanctioned race said Bosinger but is just for fun. Oili Ciau determined the German champions by averaging the races already run he said. Tisinger has been mushing for about 10 years and is entered in this year s eight dog racing class. There Are several different classes including two dog four to six dog and eight dog teams and open As Many dogs on a team As possible. The Canadian Terry Streaker As Well known As Susan Butcher in dog racing circles won a recent race with 24 dogs he said. It is not unusual for serious German cog sled Rai ers to have 100 dogs. The Norm for alaskan dog sled racers and canadians such As Streaker is to have 200 or 300 dogs. I saw Terry Streaker in a race recently. He has some 200 dogs. \ be brought Many of them with him said Bosinger. It was interesting to Rne because he called the dogs by name and the dogs All seemed to know  the Cost to watch the race is 8 Marks which Iru Ludes a bus ride to the starting line. For More information Call 07674-53-1. A Briary 18, 1993 stripes 14 stripes Magazine february 18, 1993