Dog Sled tour!
Back in 2018 while I
was living in Calgary I went for a day trip to Banff to try out dog
sledding! The company I went with is called Kingmik Dog Sled tours,
the dogs they own are all well cared for and they are all bred
specifically for sledding, so while they don't look like what you
imagine a sled dog should look like they are strong athletic animals.
When I arrived I was expecting to see a pack of husky dogs, but they
were all mutts, they don't care what the dogs look like, so long as
they are healthy and strong.
All of their tours run in Lake Louise, and you can get here by car from Banff within about 40 minutes, if you don't have access to a car one of the tour options they have is a full day activity where they will pick you up from Banff and take you back later. The tour I went on was the Narnia tour which is a 30 minute introduction to dog sledding where they take you through some amazing mountain scenery and through some wild, twisty woods. All of the tours are designed for 2 people to ride in the sled with an instructor on the back, and part way through they give you the chance to try mushing! The Narnia tour is the cheapest option at $250, but they also run a 1.5 hour tour through the Great Divide which is $450, and the most expensive option is $612 which includes the transport from Banff to Lake Louise and back, as well as a snack and a hot drink.
If you go dog sledding you should dress for the cold weather, whatever you would wear to go skiing will be perfectly fine, wear a hat, gloves, warm boots, and ski goggles or sun glasses. When I went in February the weather was -20 degrees Celsius, remember you're in the mountains in Banff and Lake Louise so it does get very cold. The sleds are designed to hold a maximum of two adults and one young child, so you don't have to go alone, it's the perfect trip to surprise your boyfriend or girlfriend with!
The tours usually run throughout the winter but will depend on the snowfall for the year, you can check this on their website to find out booking availability. Make sure to book well in advance as they only run a limited number of tours per day and the Narnia tour tends to fill up very quickly as it is their most affordable option.
Once you've met the dogs you will absolutely fall in love with them, but good news! they are adoptable! When a dog retires from sledding, or if they don't have the right temperament for being a work dog, they will post them as available on their Facebook page, once you've been interviewed they will pair you up with a dog which suits you home and lifestyle. You can email them to find out more about adopting a sled dog.
There are a few other sled dog companies in Banff and Canmore who also run tours, so if Kingmik doesn't sound right for you here are some other options with a range of prices, times, and locations.
Note, none of the links in this blog post are affiliate links, they are just to help you out.