N.B. man reaches halfway point of dog sled trek
A New Brunswick man making a 3,000-kilometre dog sled trek from Manitoba to his home province says the journey thus far has been “a mix of beauty and terror.”
Justin Allen and his 12 Alaskan huskies left Churchill, Man., on Jan. 22. They arrived in Moosonee, Ont., this week after travelling roughly 1,700 kilometres through the tundra, down tree-lined trails and along the frozen Hudson Bay.
“It’s been an incredible experience. As we’ve been going, the landscape has been changing a lot,” said Allen in a phone interview Saturday. “This country is absolutely beautiful, but at the same time, it’s a harsh environment where we’ve been going. You can’t take it lightly. If you misplan or go out illprepared it can cost you a lot — potentially your life.”
Allen, 34, said he discovered dog sledding by accident. He was travelling across Canada when he visited Churchill in 2012 and decided to volunteer at a dog kennel for a few weeks.
“A few weeks turned into the winter, and then the winter turned into six years,” he said with a chuckle.
Now, Allen is returning to his hometown of Saint John, N.B., to be closer to family and to open an adventure business with his dogs. Boss Dog Expeditions will offer dog sled rides, dog-assisted hikes and camping trips.
The musher said there have been many challenges thus far, including sledding through waist-deep snow and over icy roads.