This past Saturday we set off on a winter adventure, escaping the city for a day of dog sledding, snow shoeing, and hanging out with puppies!
Elizabeth in her element.
The dog sledding day trip was organised by Luke as a Christmas present to Elizabeth (the opposite of our cocktail-making lesson). We booked the trip through Toronto Adventures, who run a wide range of day trips from the city, and even provide transportation to and from the activities. We headed up to York Mills subway station to catch the bus which would take us about an hour and a half North of Toronto to the Windrift Kennels, where we were greeted by the sounds of 170+ excitable dogs.
 Windrift Kennels. |  Dogtown. |
Once we arrived, we were divided into a few groups and rotated through the various activities on offer. As others set off for their mushing lesson, or headed out for some snow shoeing, we were given a chance to hang out with some of the dogs and warm ourselves up with hot apple cider while we waited our turn. Being such dog fans, we were very happy to have some time meeting the dogs, including the crazy ones who would later drag our sled (running and jumping in circles while barking madly) and some very new looking puppies (words cannot describe the cuteness).
 One of Elizabeth's new best friends. |  We came very close to taking one home. |
Before we knew it, it was our turn on the sleds. After a worryingly brief lesson on how to drive the sleds, Elizabeth hopped into the sled while Luke climbed on the back, making sure to stand firmly on the brake so that the four dogs up front didn't drag us off into the woods prematurely.
And then we were off through the woods - leaning around corners, and occasionally missing trees by mere centimetres. Needless to say, it was a lot of fun, and with a clear blue sky and snow all around it made for a pretty special experience. We ended up doing two laps of the route that led us through the woods and around the kennels, swapping spots half way through. By the end of it our poor dogs were getting a little tired of dragging us around. We needed to give the pack a little encouragement now and then, and even had to help one of the dogs out when he got himself tangled up in the line while trying to pee and run simultaneously.
And then we were off through the woods - leaning around corners, and occasionally missing trees by mere centimetres. Needless to say, it was a lot of fun, and with a clear blue sky and snow all around it made for a pretty special experience. We ended up doing two laps of the route that led us through the woods and around the kennels, swapping spots half way through. By the end of it our poor dogs were getting a little tired of dragging us around. We needed to give the pack a little encouragement now and then, and even had to help one of the dogs out when he got himself tangled up in the line while trying to pee and run simultaneously.
 Sledding up. |  Riding through the woods. |
We also managed to take some (shaky) video footage along the way.
Our first stop after the dog sledding was back to the campfire, where we warmed up with smores, soup, roasted Timbits and more hot apple cider. On such a clear day with a little wind chill, things got cold on the sled so we were happy to stock up on some warm snacks before heading back into the woods for a spot of snow shoeing. With snow and ice clinging to the trees and sun streaming between them, it was a beautiful little hike. We ended up back at the kennels, for a little bit more hanging out with the dogs (one of which quickly became Elizabeth's new best friend). Just before leaving we stopped by to say hello to a mother and her three little pups, and seriously considered stealing one away inside our winter coats. We didn't though. Just FYI.
Warming up after our sledding with some roasted marshmallows.
It was an awesome day trip, made all the better by the sunny weather, and turned out to be a pretty great Christmas present. On Friday night we also enjoyed another one of our Christmas presents, going out for dinner at Momofuku Shoto for a fantastic 6 course meal (though there could have been more, we lost count. So much food.). Thanks very much to our Secret Santas!
Here are some more pictures from our snowy Saturday adventure:
Here are some more pictures from our snowy Saturday adventure:
What were we up to this time last year I hear you asking? We were taking on some other winter sports as we hit White Hills for some downhill skiing, and back in 2014 we were enjoying some tasty food at the Pop-Up Deli in St. John's.
