Paws full of powder

DOC POW

With Powder Paws, you can experience get to enjoy the same views from the back of a dogsled that skiers and riders do on mountain.  DOC POW/SnowSeekers

ROSSLAND, BC — If you have never done it before, this is your season. For anyone who is visiting a winter destination treat yourself and your crew to one of Canada’s most ancient forms of transportation – dogsledding.

At Red Mountain, located within the municiple boundries of Rossland, British Columbia, it’s not just a traditional spin through a snowy trail – the experience Powder Paws Dogsledding Tours puts together will take you for a unique look at the mountain that skiers and snowboarders will never get to see.

Even Red’s off slope adventures still get you a taste of the on-mountain action.

A truly unique experience

In its third year of operation in this area, this season is the first time that Powder Paws has taken on Red Mountain, resulting in adventurous and all inclusive sled tours.

“We are selling more of an experience, where you can help harness the dogs, get them on the lead and than be actually pulled by the dogs,” said owner, Roxanne Mason. “You can be as involved as you want to be.”

This is a wicked tour that winds its way up the back of Red Mountain and pops out right on the slopes. There were even a few spots where we caught some air.

“It’s quite unique to get into this beauty, where else can you get out on the hill and experience the views that only a skier or snowboa rder would normally enjoy,” said Mason.

And she’s right – the turnaround point is literally right under the chair lift on the ski hill. We pulled up to the Motherlode Chair and there were tonnes of skiers and snowboarders taking pictures of us and the dogs. Their biggest question was “How did you guys get up here?”

Pure puppy power

Well that’s an easy one, there is horse power and than there is dog power. With the wind in your hair, you can get going at pretty good speeds, these dogs don’t fool around.  

Even putting them on their leash to get things started is an adventure, as you are allowed to help run the dogs out from their kennel and onto the line; however there are some words of education that come with it.

“You’ll want to make sure that you keep the dogs on their back two legs, lift them up so they are not on all fours,” said Mason. “These dogs are so strong, that you give them an inch they’ll take that mile and easily pull you over and be off like a rocket.”

Watch out for homemade sleds racing down the streets of Rossland during the town’s annual winter festival.  BARB MARTOWSKI/SnowSeekers

Pulling a sled is what they live for and the excitement is palatable as they all get set up to take off with you attached to the sled. It’s your call here as well. You can either help steer on the back or take a more relaxing approach and hang out in the cockpit of the sled.

“Dogsledding is a very different kind of experience, something very unique. Anyone can get out and enjoy this, our first client was over 70 years old,” says Mason.

An experience like this will take you and your crew back in time, to the gold rush days of Rossland as an experience like this was the primary source of transportation. For complete details on getting out in style, visit www.powderpaws.ca.

Party time on main street

As mentioned in the earlier story here at SnowSeekers.ca, the Town of Rossland is home to some serious winter history. Not only was Red home to the first chair lift in Western Canada, but the town is also home to the country’s longest running annual winter carnival, the Rossland Winter Festival, now in its 112th year.

"We put on a parade in town, half show up to be in it and the other half show up to watch.  Red Mountain donates a season’s pass to be won by random draw for parade participants," said local historian and ski guide Andy Cant. 

"You should see it," added Deanne Steven of Tourism Rossland. “They shut down roads for big street parties and on one of our more steeper roads, they ice it over, and put in a bobsled course, no joke.”

This has to be one of the premier death-defying experiences in outdoor activities. A group of four is challenged to build their own sled, they all hop in and head for the hills, literally, running a timed course that’s featured on a town street.

A few mishaps along the way

Over the years there have been a few bumps and bruises. This year, Chris Bowman and his team from the Flying Steamshovel Pub, couldn’t even enter. Their canoe, which was equipped with skis on either side, was still in disrepair from last year’s event.

The Town of Rossland is completely behind the adventures, providing the infrastructure and the man power to produce the course

You gotta love it when a town and a ski hill get it right, and work together to produce something that everyone from everywhere can really embrace and get into. I haven’t experience it yet, but just from the stories I’ve been told, it’s easy to see why the annual winter carnival is well over a century old. 

Main Street converts into a winter wonderland featuring a Slopestyle competition right on the main drag, there is a music festival, an ice bar/beer gardens and way too many other events to list off. It all happens annually at the end of January, for full details visit, www.rosslandwintercarnival.com.