Dog-sledding remains a fascinating form of transportation, not for its speed and whimsy, but for the impressive ability of canines to pull a sled while barking Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore. Bid winter's icy touch adios by spending the day with M.U.S.H.E.R.S. Dog-Sled Tours at its 80-acre grounds in Warren. Choose from three options for wintry fun:

• For $25, you get a day-long Winter Wonderland package that includes 10-minute dog-sled rides, ice skating, a luge run, curling rink, and more (a $50 value), available Sundays.
• For $62, adults 13 years and older get a two-hour Mush-For-Fun dog-sledding tour package (a $125 value), available Monday through Saturday at 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
• For $30, children four to twelve years old get a two-hour Mush-For-Fun dog-sledding tour package (a $60 value), available Monday through Saturday at 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.

The Mush-For-Fun dog-sledding package is always free for children three years and under.

The Winter Wonderland day pass gifts cold-weather warriors a potpourri of chill-chasing activities, including an assigned time for a 10-minute dog-sled ride, ice-skating on a natural pond, a luge run, tobogganing, hiking, curling, hockey, pony rides, geocaching activities, and more. For maximum mobility in the face of precipitation, rent snowshoes and cross-country skis on the premises or bring along your own to tear up the territory's trails and impress the snow with your cache of icicle-based knock-knock jokes. Winter Wonderland is open on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If the rush of a swift sled is more your speed, claim your two-hour tenure as a dog-sledding dandy beginning with a tutorial on harnessing your dogs, gathering your team, and driving before embarking on a thrilling dog-led adventure. Each sled requires two riders (single riders will ride with a guide), with opportunities for switching spots, photo ops, and guessing which husky considers you his or her favourite. Learn about your dogs by helping care for them throughout the ride and compiling their numerology charts before returning to the grounds where purchasable food options and experience-based inner warmth await.

Reviews

M.U.S.H.E.R.S. was featured by Northern Life:

• The students learned about animal care, grooming and nutrition. According to a press release, sled dogs were the “working friends” of pioneers and Inuit, Inupiat and Yupik peoples in the Arctic. Their work has now largely been replaced by snow machines and ATVs. Jennifer Crawford of Warren operates M.U.S.H.E.R.S. (Making Unique Siberian Husky Experiences Running Sleds). She maintains a number of teams consisting of six to eight of the Siberian Husky sled dogs and offers wilderness tours in the winter months and children’s camps during the summer. Although these dogs are quite large and very strong, they are extremely friendly and have unique characters, the press release stated. – Northern Life