I love it everytime and it is not something hard to understand, because not everyday you can be a musher!
A couple of days ago I was at a Husky Farm. It wasn´t my very first time, but it always feels like it is. When you’re approaching the centre of the farm you see dozens of dogs, jumping and barking excited to see some visitors. It is comprehensible, because they know it means they’re going to run, and that’s what they are living for: they love running on the snow, as if they were wolfs.
It is hard to stay calm while the guides are explaining the safety instructions, because you hear nonstop barking around you and above all - you are as excited as the dogs to get started! I remember when I was there for my first time and how some people was whispering “I can’t do it, seems too difficult! I’m gonna fall, sure!”. If you want and advice: don’t even think about it. Everyone who has followed the given safety instructions can do it (ok, maybe you can’t take part in a 500km race, but you can ride the sleigh without any problems on a guided Safari).
After that, the time starts to run fast because the adventure is beginning! You step into a six dogs sleigh, while they are already jumping trying to run, and when everybody is ready, the magic begins. The sleigh is untied and at the wink of an eye, you’re on the middle of a snow path driving the dog’s team.
It is unbelivable how in a second the nonstoping barking has become silence. If the dogs don’t hypnotize you completely, you should take a look around. The landscapes and scenery will definitely transport you into another world, where everything seems to be still in a time gone by. Untouched nature without any sight of human placements, snow and trees surrounding you, and the only sound you can hear is the the sleigh on the snow.
And it is then, in the middle of your trance, when you stop at an idyllic location in the forest. When the smell of food arrives to you, you realize how hungry you are! It’s time to relax and let the dogs rest, it is time to have lunch. Maybe I love food too much, but the meal was delicious! A very typical Finnish dish of elk meatballs and potatos with a creamy sauce, and at the end, a sweet dessert of berries picked from the surrounding forests. The fireplace in the middle of the room, as on the Lappish Kotas, makes the atmosphere warm and friendly, the perfect place to relax.
After this relaxing break is time to come back to your musher mode. I always share some minutes with my dogs before starting again, I want them to know me and to be sure they’re ready for the next ride. They are always up for some pats and cuddles! Then, once more, you’re in the middle of the stunning Lappish nature with only your dogs and the silence as only company.
When the safari is over you can’t believe you have been driving for hours! You really want to stay on the sleigh and run through the nature until your body says “stop”. But for animal lovers as me, this is maybe the best part: you can stroke and hug every single dog now! On this farm they were about 200 dogs, what of course made impossible the mission of stroking all of them, but I still could play and hug many,many dogs, including a couple of lovely playful puppies!
When is time to go back home I always feel in the hurry to beg to the owner to let me live there, with the dogs, still if it sounds ridiculous (maybe that’s why at the end I never ask). But even if I can’t stay there forever, I’m always sure about one thing: I’ll be back, soon or later, and I’ll enjoy again the adventure as if it was the first time.
Ester
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment