thrillist

In case the only thing you remember about dog-sledding is that you shouldn't attempt to cross Alaskan rivers during the spring melt with a team of underfed mutts and a lady named Mercedes, embrace a real life Call of the Wild on one of Mahoosuc Guide Service's dog-sledding/ x-country skiing/ snowshoeing trips, where you'll spend three days learning the ins-and-outs of mushing and winter camping whilst exploring parts of Northern Maine and New Hampshire so untamed, they actually intimidate Clay Matthews Jr's hair.

Besides chilly temps and funny accents, here's what to expect:

Gear: Don't even bother bringing one of your 60 North Faces because they do it all, outfitting you at a pre-expedition meet-and-greet with "insulated Winter parkas, boots or mukluks, skis, snowshoes, and winter double sleeping bags and pads".

Sledding: After hitching up your five-dog team of Yukon Huskies (these pups are longer-legged and less high-strung than traditional racing sled dogs), you and a sleigh-mate will embark on a 5mi trek to camp. From there, day trips will allow you to master the finer points of steering/ driving/ hitching, though trying to convince a sled full of dogs to pick up a strange hippie on the side of a trail is actually much harder than it looks.

Base Camp: Situated on Umbagog Lake, which is a lot of fun to say aloud, the traditional northwoods camp rocks a handful of three-person white canvas wall tents warmed by sheet metal woodstoves and tricked out with soft Balsam fir bough floors.

Grub: No freeze-dried space ice cream for you, as hearty meals are prepped in the communal cooking tent and include homemade blueberry pancakes w/ real Maine maple syrup and bacon, and stir fry chicken with vegetables & rice pilaf, as well as cookies that're freshly baked, like you'd have to be to even try eating that Buzz Aldrin dessert.

Extra Curricular: Get your non-sled on by exploring the terrain via x-country ski/ snowshoe, gathering wood/ tending camp, building makeshift snow shelters, and caring for the pups, though just know that if you come across a melting river, the Buck will probably stop there.

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They also lead longer yurt-to-yurt backcountry trips! Find the right adventure for you and sign up now at Mahoosuc.com.