CANMORE – Mush! Let's go! All right! Hike!
A first-of-its-kind attraction is coming to the Bow Valley this month. Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours is trading the snow for gravel this summer at Boundary Ranch in Kananaskis Country.
“It’s always been difficult operating as a seasonal company and for the past eight years I have scoured available land within a 30 minute radius of Canmore. … Nobody has seen anything like this before so that’s why it took so long to find a place to run the dog carting,” said Jereme Arsenault, owner of Snowy Owl Dog Sled Tours.
Arsenault said the dog carting is a new tourism experience in Alberta, but there are currently also dryland tours available in the Yukon Territory and Manitoba. However, those tours use motorized carts.
“We didn’t want to do that. It’s hard to be on sled tour being pulled by a tractor,” said Arsenault. “Having a cart that was dog power only was so important for us. The energy and the build up is part of the excitement.”
Three carts of four people will depart Boundary Ranch twice a day at 9 and 11 a.m.
Arsenault said his dogs are used to running in temperatures of -10 C or colder. Each team of dogs will only do one run a day, as not to tire the dogs out.
“We have to look after our dogs and even though they lose their coats, and adapt to the temperatures, and still want to do stuff – we can’t work their butts off. We wanted to bang everything out in the morning and not even entertain the the idea of running in the afternoon.”
Arsenault said the tours will have a temperature cut off at 25 C.
The one-and-a-half-hour tour will be pulled by a 12-dog team and start off with a gentle climb for 10 minutes to the top of a plateau before continuing toward the halfway point in the tour at the buffalo paddock, at the ranch.
Arsenault said guests will be able to get out and look at the buffalo and also interact with the dogs and take pictures while enjoying the scenery.
“The most important thing for us has always been our dogs welfare. But also letting our clients interact with the dogs and share hugs and kisses. Our tour would be nothing without that.”
The carts were specifically engineered for Snowy Owl and are crafted out of tubular steel and feature rear, independent suspension, steering, and retrofitted ATV parts including 4-wheel disk brakes and quad tires.
“These carts needed to be as strong and robust as possible, but not overkill, so that the dogs could pull it, while still being comfortable for our clients.”
Due to the weight and expertise needed to handle the carts, clients will not be able to drive the carts, like in the winter.
“Dog sledding in winter is all about the dog sledding; it’s very hands on and really exhilarating because you get to drive your own sled. Clients will not be able to drive these carts. But they will still feel the power of the dogs, the energy, and the excitement.”
“Handling for us is a big concern, the carts will be driven by qualified drivers and they need to be Johnny-on-the-spot on the brake with a rig this size.”
Clients will be required to provide their own transportation to Boundary Ranch. Arsenault said they decided to set the tour up that way because of the many adventurous add-ons that can be undertaken by guests.
The tour includes entrance to the recently updated Boundary Ranch Wildlife Wonders Museum. Clients can trade the dog cart for a horseback ride and can also be combined with a rafting tour along the Kananaskis River with White Wolf Rafting.
Tours will kick off on June 14 and have the potential to operate until the end of October, weather depending.
“In the shoulder season – September, October, maybe even November – we will be ready to go and have the ability to still offer an exciting adventure for tourists.”
Arsenault said the biggest benefit to running the summer tours will be the dog's fitness and the ability to train staff for the winter months.
The tour will cost $125 per person and children under 30 pounds are free. Visit snowyowltours.com to book a tour.
