I signed up for a husky ride this morning. The car took us to a husky farm in a town outside Saariselka. When the guide started explaining how to stand behind the sledge and the braking system, it suddenly occurred to me that I was supposed to drive/ ride the sledge(!) instead of sitting inside and being pulled along. Oops! Blunder! I listened attentively.
We went up to our dogs and sledges. They were already yelping very excitedly, eager to run off. I had the sledge to myself while the rest paired up. I mistakenly started off with my foot on the brake all the time, and one of the dogs kept turning round with a puzzled look. Then the guide told me not to step on the brake, and it dwelled upon me that the sledge was suppose to just glide on the snow when the dogs pulled it. I timidly lifted my foot from the brake, and hey! found my balance! I was the first sledge and my dogs could go fast because they only had to pull me along.
At one point on a downhill turn, I lost my balance and flipped on my left. The guide had to chase after the runaway dogs and sledge in his snow mobile. Oops. The ride went on smoothly thereafter, except for the last section. We were nearing home (the husky farm) and the dogs went really fast, down a bumpy section, and I forgot to step on the brake to slow the sledge. I hung on tightly and tried a few times to find the brake. It was really lucky that I did not fly off the sledge! We returned the dogs to their individual ‘houses’, and went for a snack by the fireplace. I really enjoyed the ride with the dogs.
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