Ready sleddy go
THOMPSON
this really is the wild. Winter temperatures plunge to -40C and, even at a relatively balmy -10C, half an hour outside is a challenge, especially when you’re travelling at speed.
The icy wind biting at your face is half the fun, but racing back into the Sky High Wilderness Ranch comes with a sense of relief, and a chance to warm up again. I visited at the end of autumn and, while the sunshine makes it even more stunning to look at, the clear air is bitter.
This really is proper Canada – the North, with a capital N.
Landing the previous night at midnight in the city of Whitehorse, 1,500 miles north-west of Vancouver, was rather like arriving on the Moon... it was desolate and VERY chilly. You will absolutely need proper boots, over-trousers, thermals and a hardcore coat – and no, sorry, that thick jacket at the back of your wardrobe really won’t cut it.
Not that the huskies seem to mind – the deafening cacophony of barks and excited yelps is testament to how much they seem to love to run.
The staff know the name of each of their 150 dogs and clearly adore them. After reading Jack London’s book The Call of the Wild just before my trip, I’d hoped for a half-Saint Bernard and half-Scottish shepherd like his main character Buck.
Sadly there was no sign of a Buck, but the descriptions of sledding were even more vivid after a trip on the snow and ice for real.
The bestselling novel has now been made into a film, out on Wednesday, starring Harrison Ford. Part live-action