Breakaway Adventures: Snowmobiling & Skijoring
Breakaway Adventures: Snowmobiling & Skijoring
The Norwegian Way of Traveling Across the Snow, From Reindeer to the Family Dog
The first days of snow are always special; it’s like spring cleaning only it’s the start of winter! Put away all those warm weather items, shorts and sandals and dust off the ski equipment, snowsuits and mitts. Stack the firewood outside your front door, clean the chimney and start up the snow blower! “Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!”
There once was a time before snowmobiles, which wasn’t that long ago, when winter transportation was strictly on a pair of skis attached to your feet. In fact, the very first snowmobile, invented by a Canadian by the name of Bombardier wasn’t until 1922, just over 100 years ago!
Skis, on the other hand, date back to ancient times probably before that lovable caveman Gorg, from that famous syndicated B.C. comic strip, invented the wheel - but not the snow tire, that came later! (FYI footnote - B.C. comic strip was created in 1958 by Johnny Hart, an Endicott, NY native!)
The first skis that were documented date back to 8000 B.C. and of course, you guessed it, they were made in China! The first ski featuring a camber and the modern day side cut wasn’t invented until 1868 by a Norwegian by the name of Sondre Norheim of Telemark, Norway! These skis were called Telemark skis oddly enough.
Back to the snowmobile! The first driven skier was not by a gasoline burning combustible engine, but rather by one of Santa’s trusty reindeer. For hundreds of years, the Sami people of Lapland (which included northern Finland, Sweden and Norway) harnessed their skis to their domesticated reindeer. Reindeer enabled Laplanders to travel quickly across vast open snowy meadows and across frozen lakes.
Photo / Aaron Peterson
The Norwegians named this mode of transportation Skijoring. Skijoring even made its Olympic debut in the 1928! In 1912, some European countries began utilizing real horsepower to pull skiers, thus Equine Skijoring was invented. In 1915, Equine Skijoring crossed the ocean finding its way to Lake Placid, NY where it became a popular wintertime recreational activity.
Another adaptation to early Skijoring that’s much more practical today is to harness dog power and that’s where I come in. No, I didn’t come up with the idea, but it somehow seemed obvious to a teenage boy full of clever ideas that occasionally led to mischief!
In the mid sixties, my family did a lot of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. This was the best way to get around during the long winter months at our northern Ontario lodge. My dad was a very avid ice fisherman. Surrounding our lodge were dozens of secluded lakes teaming with native lake trout and speckled trout. The problem was how to get to them. The snowmobile was around but we didn’t own one so he took to his skis. It wasn’t long before my brother and I beat him to ice hut using dog power. The family pet, a very large black and tan German Shepherd was recruited to pull us.
Anyone that has ever tried walking a dog without a training collar will know that the natural instinct for a dog on a lead is to pull. Yes, dogs love to pull and run! A combination that works well for the owner that has the ability to follow along without getting an arm yanked off or getting dragged to the ground. Dog power is an ingenious method of transportation; Dog sledding and Skijoring are two similar examples of cost effective means to harness all that energy.
The Skijor harness fits around the dog’s body in a way that it doesn’t hamper the dog’s ability to run freely and pull a load with the least amount of effort. The harness is then attached to a long lead, which in turn is attached to another harness around the mid section of the skier. The equipment is basic; skis, poles and the Skijor harness assembly.
Our early Skijoring skis were nothing like what you see being used today by cross country skiers; they were more like the ones found hanging over your fireplace for decoration. Those wide old boards with the leather harnesses where excellent for what we needed them for and offered a very stable platform for being quickly driven over un-groomed terrain.
For the ice fisherman that wants to explore some virgin water without a snowmobile, Skijoring is just the ticket. Traveling over flat snow and ice covered terrain will be a snap.
Skijoring harnesses made by Neewa run approximately $100 plus. Excellent skis for Skijoring are ones without medal edges. Asnes’ model Breidablikk BC won’t harm your dog if somehow it comes in contact with the ski. The specs for the Breidablikk 200cm ski is 86-62-74 equipped with BC or 75mm telemark bindings. A good alternative ski is the Black Diamond GlideLite 147cm Snow Treker 124-110-122 that came with a universal binding that works with ordinary hiking boots.
Another cool Nordic invention that’s becoming increasing popular here in the US is a kicksled made by ESLA of Finland. Although not exactly skijoring and not quite dog sledding, kicksleds are a personalized compromise serving the dog enthusiasts, ice fishers and hikers. The one huge advantage of a kicksled is that it has extra room to carry gear. These sleds can also be folded down to fit inside smaller vehicles or in a ski box. Unlike Skijoring, the kicksled comes with a brake, a major plus if your dog goes squirrel on you!
A dog is a great companion, especially when you are traveling into isolated territory where it is essential to be prepared for the worst. Falling through the ice or getting lost in a blizzard, your dog may be your only chance for survival. Most people wouldn’t think that their family pet would be up to the task of pulling you on skis over some frozen tundra but you’d be surprised!
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Indrek Kongats is an artist, traveler, outdoorsman, and business owner residing in Ellicottville. He operates River Dog Art Gallery in Houghton, NY, and his Breakaway Classic Adventures specializes in adventure travel destinations. Learn more about him at breakawayclassicadventures.com.