FAQ

The Great Divide Tour and the Winter Wonderland Tour are the SAME dog sled tour; however, the Winter Wonderland includes transportation from Banff. It is designed for those who are staying in Banff and who do not have transportation but would still like to visit the crown jewel of the Rockies… Lake Louise.

72 hours. If you must cancel within this time period, we do everything we can to re-sell the sled. If we are successful, there is no charge for your canceled sled. If we are unsuccessful, you are charged in full. But again, we work hard at re-selling your sled.

Please dress warmly. You will enjoy your experience so much more. This includes, but is not limited to, a warm windproof hat, neck protection in the form of a scarf or neck tube, a windproof jacket with a hood, warm leggings under a windproof shell. If you keep your chest and abdomen and head warm, your fingers and toes are less likely to cool off. Warm mitts and warm boots are essential. If you do not own these items, please check with Snowtips Bactrax in Banff or Wilson Mountain Sports in Lake Louise. In addition, we recommend purchasing the disposable packet hand and foot warmers that are sold just about everywhere in Canada in the winter. Air activated, these little packets will provide heat for up to 5 hours and can be tucked in your mittens and boots.

We do not have a shuttle, but we are only 1 km away from the Chateau Lake Louise. If you don’t have a vehicle, you can either take a cab to us or walk down to us. Some folks walk down and take a cab back uphill. There is a very good cab company in the village.

No. We’ve taken 6-month-old babies on a tour, as well as an 87-year-old elder. The only consideration when taking out the very young and the elderly is the temperature. If it’s very cold, their participation must be considered carefully.

Certainly on the Narnia Tour. On the Great Divide Tour, we need to discuss this with parents. Parents have to be present to sign waivers for their kids.

Absolutely! The guides like treats too!

Similar to a bobsled. The person in the back snugs right up to the back of the sled, and the person in the front snugs right up to the person in the back. Intimate seating! That’s why we don’t put strangers together.

Narnia tours are fully guided. There is no opportunity to drive the sled. On the Great Divide Tour, there is an opportunity to drive with the guide for a portion of the trip home.

It’s as much about space as it is the weight when filling a sled. IF this family were small in stature (not 6 footers), then I would consider it for the Narnia Tour only. The way they sit (biggest to smallest) means the little one is sitting way out front and the sled bag cannot be closed. It can be cold and windy up there, and the dogs do kick up snow. Sometimes parents put babies between them (cause the babe is not really interested in the show anyhow), but this means the front person cannot relax into the sled without squishing the little one. So for longer tours, this is very taxing.

It’s pretty quiet in the wintertime, but we do see lots of tracks made. In the area, there are lynx, wolverines, snowshoe hares, and lately, we have even spotted a fisher that has taken up residence on the trail. In the past, we have seen elk, moose, and even a grizzly on the trail, but these are once-in-a-decade sightings.

None whatsoever.

All the guides are experienced dog drivers. Most of our guides have a decade to a quarter-century of driving dog teams. Our new guides are vetted carefully and then put through a full 2 months of Mushing School. We have never had an incident. The worst that can happen is that a dog might pee on you.

No. None of the guides can bake, but they’re amazing mushers! And our trail, at 10 miles in length, requires us to spend the full 1.5 hours getting around it. This is a long distance covered in the time span allowed.

The trail is groomed regularly, and the main trail is perfect. The Narnia trail that goes through the woods has more swoops and dips to it. If it has been snowing, the trail will be soft. If it has not snowed in a long time, the trail becomes hard and the sled can bang more on the bumps.

We have taken many pregnant women out before, but we advise that they talk to their doctors first. (See above about trail). You can always call us to check on trail conditions.

No

Do not understand this question. Did I hear it?

The only weather we call ugly is 30 below or colder… And in that case, we cancel, so you don’t have to.

• The Chateau Lake Louise is our partner. The Chateau is the original lodgings in Lake Louise. It stands on the shore of Lake Louise and is the historical center of the area. This lovely hotel provides lovely dining and many shopping experiences.
• The Deer Lodge is the oldest building left in the area. The essence of the early and exciting boom times permeates the air within the Deer. Excellent dining and historical experience.
• The Post is a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateau hotel association, which is recognized by cultured travelers as a guarantee of quality. Located in the village.
• The Mountaineer Lodge is located in the central village. It provides wonderfully comfortable and affordable fine lodging.
• The Hi Alpine Lodge is the alpine hostel. Offers private and shared quarters.
• Lake Louise Inn is considered the favorite of families. It sports an indoor pool and several restaurants. Located in the central village.
• Baker Creek Chalets, located about 20 minutes from the village on the Bow Valley Parkway, is a favorite with locals for the quiet location and exceptional dining experience.

Lots! A hardworking tour dog can consume up to 12,000 calories a day. These calories are contained in a high powered kibble designed specifically for working sled dogs. It contains up to 32% protein and 32% fat. In addition, the dogs receive about 2 pounds of raw meat a day… chicken, beef, salmon, pork, and lamb. At the end of your tour, you will have the opportunity to “feed the crocodiles” by tossing chunks of raw meat to the dogs, which they will snap out of the air with an accuracy that would put Chad Johnson to shame!  We also add joint mobility and gut health formulas to their meals.

Just like people, dog’s metabolisms vary. Silver and Iskra gain weight by just looking at food. Conversely, Lorax and Raptor eat like teenage boys and are still skinny. We tailor each dog’s caloric intake to meet their individual needs. In general, the dogs, like marathon runners, must maintain a sleek, lean physique. And the guides are all working on being as sleek and lean as the dogs. If we suddenly go silent on the Divide Hill, it is because we are running behind the sled and slipping into a state of hypoxia.

Lead dogs are born, not made. A lead dog could be compared to a CEO of a company. They love their job, take it very seriously, and can handle a great deal of responsibility. A lead dog must be particularly tuned into the musher in order to work together and take directional commands. It can be a somewhat stressful situation having eight or 12 screaming athletes at your heels, and so the lead dog must be confident in his or her abilities up there. We see lead dog potential in pups at a very young age. At the same time, we never discount the “sleeper” dog, who may be a late bloomer and decides, at a later stage in life, that he or she wants to take the helm. Contrary to popular belief, the lead dog is not always the alpha dog in the kennel. You know that socially awkward CEO? Silver would be a great example of this. She defers to everyone but is a dynamo in lead. Growler, on the other hand, has always been a quietly confident guy, who the other dogs never think to challenge on any level.  He’s calm, confident, gentle, but dominant.

We put booties on the dogs for a variety of reasons, but down south here, rarely for the cold. The main reason we boot is for web cracks. Because a dog’s feet are one of the main conduits to shed excess heat, the interface between their feet and the snow is a warm, damp environment that tends to create splits in their webs. We also boot for abrasive conditions and snowballing. We do this preventatively. In conjunction with the boots, we use our own special foot cream formula with tea tree oil, lanolin, almond oil, beeswax, and some other secret ingredients.

More rarely, in these southern climes, do we have to boot for the cold. Dogs have unique foot physiology, with venules and arterioles spaced closely together for heat exchange, plus a large percentage of fatty tissue in their paws enables their feet to remain warm when ours would freeze. In addition, dogs only shed excess body heat through their mouths and their paws, and thus when they are working, their paws become little hot pads. They cannot shed heat by sweating, such as a horse does. Every dog is different and we recognize this. Some of our crew, both human and dog, get cold feet more easily.  They get extra protection to keep them comfy.

Sled dogs are the decathletes of the canine world. Any superstar athlete cannot carry any excess body fat as it can be injurious to their joints, and it also greatly impedes performance. For those of you who do run, you know when you are packing even an extra pound or two. In the end, we like to see a lean and athletic condition in all of our poochies, well-muscled with a few ribs showing, and a glossy coat.

The dogs go home each night to their kennel, which is a 45-minute drive from Lake Louise. At the kennel, they all have their own house, which is a cozy den packed with straw. For the most part, we tether them individually for this enables us to monitor their individual health — eating, pooping, drinking. The dogs are close enough to play with each other and interact, but after a long day of work, they usually eat their dinner and go to bed after a rousing group howl. While we do not offer kennel tours specifically due to the long drive from Lake Louise, we welcome anyone who would like to visit the dogs at their home.