My wife and I decided to do the North Ridge Dog Sledding experience yesterday. What a great experience we had. It was a super cold, snowy day so please dress accordingly. You WILL need snow pants, warm winter boots and definitely some heat packs for your mittens and boots (especially the driver of the sled). For the driver, your feet are slightly off the the sled (for balance) so your boots will probably gather snow and ice on the trail, which is why I recommend heat packs and warm boots.
The trail itself is absolutely beautiful. Filled with hills, sky sight lines, tall trees, turns and flat surfaces too. The driver CANNOT do anything except control the sled so if you're planning on taking pics let the passenger do it.
As I was the driver of the sled, I would recommend someone who is not in great shape or a senior not drive the sled. It takes quite a bit of strength, balance and endurance. I'm quite sore today after our dog sledding ride yesterday, but then again we opted for the longer afternoon sled (which was around 3 hours or more).
The owners/operators are great! Brad, the instructor/owner is a straight forward guy who doesn't mess around. I've seen a couple of questionable reviews about him but I understand where he's coming from with his bluntness and stern instruction. Hey, it's very real that you, your passenger, other riders, and the dog themselves could get seriously injured during this activity. It's not a ride at an amusement park with seat belts where some operator can stop the ride if something goes wrong. If you don't listen and pay attention to Brad, you will probably get into trouble (I almost lost control and flipped at one point). Remember the dogs are pretty powerful in speed and energy.
That said, omg, my wife and I wouldn't trade this experience for the world. I would recommend this to my friends and family and as a "must do" winter activity to experience at least once in your life.
Thanks North Ridge Ranch, what great memories! read more