Travel

Hear the call of the wild with a sled-dog ride

‘Bend your knees,” the woman in front of me calls out as I hold fast on an unsteady perch.

I’m on the back of a dog sled being pulled by eight frisky Alaskan huskies through a snowy Massachusetts forest. My hulking Sorels rest on strips of wood less than 2 inches wide, and I’m acutely aware that the only thing keeping me from flying off the sled is my grasp on the two handles in front of me and my weak upper-body strength. It’s thrilling — filling me with the perfect balance of exhilaration and fear.

After he sled ride, The Post’s Hailey Eber praises the pups who pulled her — Spunky (left) and Rollo (sharing the love).Zandy Mangold
Though Alaskan huskies weigh only 50 to 65 pounds each, four of them together can pull 200 pounds.Zandy Mangold

When it comes to travel and tours, I’m jaded and underwhelmed more often than I care to admit, but dog sledding doesn’t disappoint.

My first experience was last winter in Vermont — a birthday present from my husband. I was skeptical when he first told me of the gift.

“Oh, that sounds amazing, honey,” I said, imagining a slow, placid, Disneyland-esque ride around a small field that wouldn’t be worth the cost.

Instead, the first thing our guide at October Siberians in Waterbury, Vt., asked was if we’d ever ridden a motorcycle. The answer was a resounding “No,” and I suddenly wondered just what we were in for.

I perched on the back of the sled behind the musher, my husband hopped in the cozy, sleeping-bag-like seat in the front, and the team of dogs bounded forward with a jolt. We were off, flying through the Vermont forest, and I was anything but underwhelmed.

This winter, I was intent on another sled dog fix — without driving all the way to Vermont.

Hilltown Wilderness Adventures offers dog sledding experiences and instruction in the DAR State Forest in Goshen, Mass., about a 3½-hour drive from New York City.

Marla Brodsky, 54, a former jazz singer and martial artist who took up competitive dog sledding five years ago, is the woman behind Hilltown. She offers a sled dog “adventure” group lesson that starts with a 60- to 90-minute lecture. Participants get to interact with and learn about her Alaskan huskies. She also goes over harnessing the dogs and basic commands: “Gee” is right, “haw” is left, “whoa” is slow down.

“It’s Mushing 101,” she says.

Deb Feldman, 49, a Realtor from Framingham, Mass., took part in the lesson last Sunday with some friends. Dog sledding was on her bucket list.

“It’s a lot of preparation,” she says, adding that the info session “was a little dry.”

Things get more exciting at the end of the lesson, when everyone gets a taste of sledding, taking turns riding around a short, picturesque forest loop. Some students drive the sled themselves, others ride as passengers.

Brodsky assures the group that with the fresh powder on the ground, “You got so much padding, you fall, nothing will happen.”

There’s a sense of chaos that ranges from exciting to unnerving. At one point, one man comes around the final turn and tries to slow his dogs by sticking his leg in the snow, while Brodsky and her two assistants scream “Brake, brake, brake!” At another point, a rogue team of huskies turns off the track and into the woods.

Despite the occasional mishaps, all seem to enjoy the sled ride, though it only lasts a few minutes.

“It was fun, but it was way too short,” says Feldman, who bought the experience on LivingSocial (for $150) and expected a much longer ride.

Some are happier with the experience. “I would definitely recommend it,” says Colleen Sweeney, 25, from Ashland, Mass. “It was very peaceful.”

For Feldman, the short ride leaves her hungry for more. “There’s more to be done,” she says.

Hilltown Wilderness Adventures

West Chesterfield, Mass.; 413-296-0187; hilltownwildernessadventures.wordpress.com

The three-hour sled dog adventure lesson takes place within the scenic DAR State Forest. $150 per person. Private tours and rides available upon request.

October Siberians

Waterbury, Vt.; 802-482-3460; octobersiberians.com

The two-hour tour through Little River State Park, near Stowe, Vt., includes about an hour and 45 minutes on the sled and is also fairly hilly and adventurous. $350 for two people.