Boundary Waters by Dogsled: A Bucket-List Adventure, Minnesota

The Trip

Does your bucket list include dogsledding in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the dead of winter? National Geographic thinks it should! In fact, a trip like this is on their “Ultimate Adventure Bucket List!”

Northern Minnesota is home to the largest concentration of sled dogs and mushers in the Lower 48. Our trip is hosted by musher and polar explorer Paul Schurke, who runs Wintergreen Dogsled Adventures from his classic lodge along the border of the BWCA. The trip is based from traditional Minnesota winter lodges, where Schurke’s professional crew will provide hands-on training before we hit the trails. We will learn winter travel skills, dog care and harnessing, dogsledding, winter ecology, and cold weather comfort and safety.

After a night at one of the lodges, we will meet our furry companions and learn the skills needed for dogsledding as well as staying safe and comfortable during winter adventures. Days will be spent exploring the Boundary Waters area by dogsled, and you will have opportunities to hike, snowshoe, ski, or simply relax at the lodge. Paul will join us during our trip and share stories from his expeditions. On our final night at the lodge we will enjoy a celebratory dinner.

While the cold weather can be challenging, you’ll be provided nearly everything you need to be successful and have a great time. We will depart 8:00 a.m. from a Minneapolis hotel near the airport and get acquainted on our drive to the lodge and back to Minneapolis at the end of the trip. Temperatures may dip below zero, but Wintergreen will provide you with expedition-quality outerwear to supplement your own warm clothing. All meals will be cooked by Wintergreen staff, and they can accommodate various dietary needs.

Minnesota’s BWCA is one of the largest and most popular wilderness areas in the country, with a quarter-million visitors a year who are drawn to paddle its pristine lakes. Yet only about two percent of that number visit during the winter, as it takes special preparation to appreciate the charms of this glowing, silent season.

For those who do, the rewards are huge. Despite short sunlight hours in mid-winter, the coldest nights display the most brilliant stars, and you can often see well enough to read by the glow of moonlight reflected off the snow. A large population of timber wolves make their living off deer and moose, and make their presence known by howls, footprints, or fur from a recent meal. And, of course, the frozen lakes create terrific runways for sled dogs.

We will be mushing Canadian Inuit dogs, which were originally bred for hauling freight and have been used on Arctic expeditions. They are powerful 75-pound dogs with a gentle demeanor and easy for beginners to handle. You'll learn to mush your own team, and if you like, you can also get involved in the harnessing, feeding, bedding, and caring for your team.

Like many winter traditions, the future of dogsledding here is threatened by climate change. Winters are warming and lake ice is no longer guaranteed at any time -- thus the January date for this trip. The BWCA itself is also at risk from a proposed copper-nickel mine that threatens to pollute its clear waters and wild rice beds. You will learn more about these threats during our trip and learn how they are affecting this region.

The itinerary below is an example and may be somewhat different depending on weather conditions and group preference.

Day 1: Depart 8:00 a.m. from a Minneapolis hotel near the airport to Ely, Minnesota, the group will have lunch at a local restaurant (not included in trip meals) and then pick up rental clothing packages. We’ll also get the opportunity to learn about environmental and conservation issues facing the BWCA. Then we’ll get back on the shuttle and head to our lodges. The rest of the afternoon will include trip orientation, gear review with guides, and a welcome dinner (first meal of the trip). Sleep in double rooms in modern, rustic Northwoods lodges.

Day 2: In the morning, we'll have kennel care and breakfast and complete our “Dogsledding 101." Then lunch at the lodge and a final gear check. We’ll launch our dogsleds in the early afternoon and mush throughout the day.

Day 3: In the morning, we will feed and care for our canine companions. Then the group will enjoy a hot breakfast before another adventure on the trails in our sleds. Dinner and sleep at lodge.

Day 4: Once again, we’ll start our morning caring for the sled dogs. This day the group may enjoy dogsled day trips with lunch on the trail, go hiking or snowshoeing, try out backcountry skiing, or relax in the lodge. The evening includes a celebratory dinner at one of the lodges.

Day 5: One final morning of kennel care with the dogs, followed by enjoying a wrap-up brunch, packing the shuttle, and saying our goodbyes. We will depart after breakfast and shuttle back to a Minneapolis hotel.  The trip will end at the hotel in the early afternoon.

Getting There

Our lodge is located just outside Ely, MN, a small town in the Superior National Forest near the Canadian border. Participants will meet at a suburban hotel near the Minneapolis airport. The trip will start when we leave the hotel at 8:00 a.m. on Day 1, so you will need to arrive sometime the previous day before the trip starts. We will return to the same hotel at the end of the trip. For similar trips, we have arranged a group rate for interested participants for the nights before and after the trip, but these nights are not included in the trip price. The shuttle is included in the cost of the trip, although some participants may find it more convenient to provide their own transportation.  Please don’t make any travel arrangements until you have been confirmed by the leaders as a trip member.

Accommodations and Food

To be near a BWCA entry point, participants will be assigned to one of two cabins a short drive from Wintergreen lodge. Solo participants will be assigned a roommate. Meals will be provided at the larger of the two cabins. All meals are prepared from scratch by Wintergreen’s talented cooks. From full-course lodge meals to campfire lunch on the trail, they deliver healthy, satisfying meals to suit a wide range of tastes and dietary needs. In 2018 this trip received a perfect five-star rating for food. And one of the great pleasures of dining at Wintergreen is sharing a table with participants and guides alike. It’s sure to be a delightful culinary adventure. For our lodge meals, participants are not required to pitch in on the dishes.

Trip Difficulty

You do not need to be an experienced dogsledder, or even know how to cross-country ski or snowshoe to enjoy this winter adventure. If you do, you’ll be able to hone your skills. You only need to be good physical shape and be willing to learn new skills from Wintergreen’s expert guides. A foundation of hiking, biking, running, walking, or working out in a gym can all prepare you for mushing dogs in the Land of 10,000 (Frozen) Lakes.

As in most activities, the better condition you are in, the more you will enjoy the trip. When dogsledding, for example, the trails can twist and turn, and sudden changes in your sled’s direction may throw you off balance and into the snow. Your ability to maintain balance, and to trot after the sled for short distances and hop back on again, will help you enjoy the experience. As you go through the trip application process, your leaders will help determine fitness goals for you based on where you live and how you like to exercise.

Equipment and Clothing

Gearing up for a dogsledding trip can involve a lot of clothing and gear. The trip cost includes specialized cold-weather clothing rented from Wintergreen. We will be using their dogs, sleds, skis, snowshoes, snow pants, anoraks, an insulation layer for top and bottom, outer mitts, and more. Details will be provided after registration.

You’ll need to contribute some personal gear to your state of winter warmth, such as long underwear, socks, hats and gloves, and some insulation layers to supplement the clothing provided. Your leaders will provide a detailed packing list, and a guide will meet with our group by phone before the trip to help you select appropriate clothing from what you already have and recommend additional items for you to purchase. Please wait until you have received their recommendations before buying clothing for the trip.

References

• Steger, Will and Paul Schurke, North to the Pole. 1987. The harrowing story of an eight-person expedition -- seven men and one woman -- that made the first dogsled trip to the North Pole. The team, led by authors Will Steger and Paul Schurke, started in Ely, crossed the Hudson Bay, and headed north to the pole. Schurke went on to become an activist and founded Wintergreen Lodge.
• Paul Schurke, Bering Bridge: The Soviet-American Expedition from Siberia to Alaska. 1989. Following his North Pole expedition, Paul undertook a diplomatic mission to restore free passage between native Arctic communities on either side of the U.S./Russian border, which had been closed since 1948. With the personal endorsement of Mikhail Gorbachev, Paul and his international team traveled by dogsled from Russia to Alaska across the icy land bridge dotted with native communities. A great window into arctic culture and a fun read. 
• “Must-Do Trip: Dogsled the Boundary Waters, Minnesota," National Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/features/best-trips/dogsled-boundary-waters-minnesota/
• "Onto the Water and Into the Wild,” The New York Times: https://nyti.ms/2jAqc5P
• “Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Trip Planning Guide," U.S. Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3799760.pdf
• "Protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area," Sierra Magazine: http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2016-6-november-december/feature/protecting-boundary-waters-canoe-area

• See the article "Minnesota Needs ‘Prove it First’ Laws to Protect Water and Life" in the June 2021 North Star Journal. https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/north-star-chapter/nsj/nsj202106.pdf

Conservation

The BWCA faces two major threats: climate change and proposed mines. Local copper-nickel mining has already permanently harmed the water and land outside the BWCA, and now there are plans to renew mining operations within the Boundary Waters watershed, which would cause irreparable harm to its pristine waters. As in many parts of the globe, climate change is already having an impact on the BWCA, with its distinctive boreal forest gradually receding northward with the moose and lynx that call it home, giving way to oaks and maples.

We’ll have the great privilege to discuss these global and local issues with local activists and Paul Schurke, founder and owner of Wintergreen Lodge. Not only is Mr. Schurke a climate change activist, he has seen changes firsthand during his 30+ years exploring the arctic.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.