Wintergreen dogsled day trips are "hands-on" experiences on which you'll be driving your own dogsled powered by a team of our friendly, handsome Canadian Inuit dogs. Our guides will accompany you on skis to help out as needed, point out signs of wildlife and sights of scenic interest and share northwoods lore.  No experience is needed. Persons ages 5-75 have enjoyed these trips. Half-day morning (9-1) and afternoon (1-5) options are available along with full day trips (9-5) that include lunch.  Full day trips also include the option of exploring more adventurous trail options in the afternoon if you choose.

Dates:

Wintergreen's dogteams and guides are fully booked most Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays December to March with our overnight vacation packages, so day trips options are generally limited to Sundays and Mondays as outlined below (although for groups of 4 or more we can sometimes arrange Tuesday or Wednesday trips).  

NOTE: 2017-18 Holiday Dogsled Day Trip Dates: Sun Dec 24, Wed Dec 27, Thur Dec 28, Mon Jan 1 

These rates are per person with 2 guests per sled on our extra wide sleds. On these specially designed sleds (a Wintergreen exclusive), 2 guests stand side-by-side and drive the sled together (or one can sit in the basket while the other drives).  For a one-person “solo” sled, the rates are 50% more. Groups of 6 or more get 10% off each (maximum group size is 12). Our day trips typically involve a mix of 6-8 guests traveling in a caravan of 3-4 sleds accompanied by 2-3 guides. No special fitness or experience is needed, but please note that persons over 250 pounds may find it difficult to balance on the sleds and younger kids generally prefer a half rather than full day of sledding.

Itinerary:

These trips all begin at Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge, 8 miles east of Ely on White Iron Lake near Ely, where our guides will make sure your clothing & boots are adequate, provide you with trail beverages & snacks upon request and take you through our "Dogsledding 101" orientation.  Then you'll head to the kennel to meet the dogs.  The big moment arrives as your guide helps you launch your sled. Off you go, driving your own dogteam on wilderness trails. Along the way, your guide (on skis) will point out wildlife signs and sites of scenic interest for photos, and provide rest stops & snack breaks upon request. On full day trips, the guides will provide a trailside campfire lunch or an indoor lunch break at the lodge.  Our trail system includes a variety of scenic options: hilly woodland terrain, sheltered bogs, frozen lakes & ponds and trails that are both easy and challenging. Feel free to let your guide know your preferences. When you arrive back at the kennel, you're welcome upon request to help feed and water your dogs and to visit the lodge for a hot beverage before departing.

Clothing:

Suitable clothing includes: thermal wear (top & bottom 'long johns'), sweater or fleece top, parka & snow pants, warm hat & mitts, neck gaiter or scarf, sunglasses, warm socks and insulated snow boots.  The key items: parka, snow pants, snow boots--can be rented separately or as a package at our Wintergreen Northern Wear store in Ely. For clothing advice & rental options, call or email our store staff: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., toll-free 844-359-6233 (ELY MADE), or 218-365-6602. We'll have the items you need ready for pick up at our store in Ely before you come out to the lodge.   For rental details, click here to view or print our Dogsled Day Trip Rental Gear Order Form. You're welcome to bring your own water bottle, thermos and snack food; or we can provide those at no charge upon request. Video, digital and film cameras work well on our trips.

Clothing Checklist (rent or discount purchase options available at Wintergreen Northern Wear):

• Long underwear tops & bottoms
• Hooded shell anorak (or parka)
• Insulating fleece anorak (or parka) (no need for shell & fleece anorak if you’ve got a warm parka)
• Snow pants
• Gloves and/or mitts
• Thin plus thick socks
• Warm hat plus scarf or neck gaitor
• Sunglasses or visored hat
• Insulated snow boots
• Hand & foot warmers (optional but very helpful in temps below 20)

Reservations:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us toll-free 877-753-3386 (877-SLED FUN) regarding your preferred date options. We'll alert you to availability, hold a spot for you and provide you with our Day Trip Registration Form by email, fax or mail.  After  you submit it , we'll respond with a confirmation letter that reviews details about your trip and outlines rental clothing/boot options.  No deposit is required & payment can be made by cash, credit card or check following your trip.  Price does not include a guide gratuity, so if your Wintergreen experience proves to be exceptional, our guides will appreciate recognition of a job well done. Please be advised that you will be engaged in an adventure activity and sledding on remote wilderness trails where there is an element of risk.  While Wintergreen day trip participants have never sustained serious injuries, all participants must sign a risk acknowledgement & liability release form before dogsledding.

Weekend Vacation Idea:

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge is filled most every night with our dogsled vacation package guests, but other lodging options are available for our day trip guests.  Many of our guests come up on a Saturday and stay at the Grand Ely Lodge, which offers a substantial discount for Wintergreen day trip guests (www.grandelylodge.com, 218-365-6565, 877-472-6335). Another downtown option is "A Stay Inn Ely" which is new & very nice, has great rates PLUS a 10% discount for Wintergreen guests (www.stayinnely.com, 888-360-6010). Our day trip guests often visit Ely's International Wolf Center (www.wolf.org) and North American Bear Center (www.bear.org)  on Saturday afternoon (winter hours for both are Fri/Sat 10-5 & Wolf Center Sun 10-2 ), and then they come out to Wintergreen on Sunday or Monday for a half or full day dogsled trip.  Other near-town lodging options that offer discounts to Wintergreen guests: Timber Trail Lodge (log cabins & motel units with kitchens, ski trails, just a few miles from Wintergreen) 800-777-7348, www.timbertrail.com;  Blue Heron Bed & Breakfast (intimate & exquisite, ski trails) 218-365-4720, www.BlueHeronBnB.com.

Flash news! Wintergreen guests are now eligible for discounted stays at our area's finest ski resort: The Lodge at Giants Ridge, with an on-site restaurant, superb downhill and nordic skiing (60km) & full ski or snowboard rental packages.  Call toll-free 877-442-6877 and ask for their "Wintergreen discount rate" on lodging (15% off),  http://www.lodgeatgiantsridge.com