luzula | Dogsledding photos

luzula

Okay, finally! And I also got the chance to try out the DW image hosting.

Driving over a flat lake, through a glacial valley.

Panting dogs. They can get hot when they run!

The snowmobile autostrada between Nikkaluokta and Kebnekaise. Kebnekaise is Sweden's highest mountain and quite a tourist magnet.

Dogs lying down and taking it easy during a break. To the right is Homy, a big playful young dog with markings like he dipped his nose in ashes.

You can only just see it, but that's open water out to the right. This is an area affected by hydroelectric dams, otherwise it would be frozen.

When you take a quick break they often go out to snatch some snow to eat to cool down. This is my team, with Zemlan and Zipp in the front, Dafina in the middle (hardly visible) and Åman and Ölina at the back.

We often took a dog or two inside the cabin at night. This is Åttan, who was in heat and slipped loose to mate twice...

Aww, Dafina! She was quite shy at first, because she'd come from another owner, but after just a day she would let me pet her.

...and here she is being petted.

Rolled up in a circle, like they do when it's colder.

To eat? Or not to eat? This is Åman, one of my wheel dogs.

Aaaaah, such lovely landscapes.

Rolled up and ready for the night, some of them with jackets on. That's Homy's dark nose again.

podfic_lover being graceful on snow shoes. :P

The guide inside the tent, with Annie, his mascot border collie, and also Ariel in the background.

Our tent camp, on a stretch without cabins. Quite few people come by this area and it was really beautiful.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

isis

Wow! And also, brrr!

From:

luzula

I was never actually cold! We had good clothes and sleeping bags.

From:

seascribble

This is so awesome! I wanna do it.

Will there be puppies from Åttan? :D

From:

luzula

It is awesome and you should try it! \o/

I don't think he had decided yet; possibly she'll be having an abortion. But they do have maybe two litters of puppies per year for the kennel.

From:

jesse_the_k

Amazing views. Lovely photos! SO MANY QUESTIONS -- but only answer the ones you care to.

1. "open water out to the right"
Who decides whether it's safe to sled near that? And how? What was the average temp day/night during your trip? Elevation?

2. "often took a dog or two inside the cabin"
Isolating a bitch in heat, of course. But did you snuggle with the dogs?

3. Dafina is indeed adorable -- and she also looks tiny. Or are you that tall?

4. Did Annie, the guide's dog, travel on the sled?

From:

luzula

1) It's the hydroelectric company's responsibility to mark out a safe path across--we did cross that lake at another point. I don't know how they do it, maybe measure the thickness of the ice?

In the sun I think we got above freezing sometimes, otherwise below. I didn't have a thermometer? Elevation, hmm. Probably around 400-800 meters above sea level.

2) Totally! We snuggled all the time. They were very snuggly. And sometimes we'd take dogs inside if they looked like they needed some extra rest or attention.

3) We are both about average size for our respective species. : )

4) Nope, she ran ahead/around/wherever she wanted (though would obey commands reasonably).

From:

jesse_the_k

What a dreamy adventure.

From:

sage

Oh, you had such beautiful weather! It looks amazing -- again! (It's 91F/31.8C here right now, so the cold white snow looks especially nice.)

Thank you so much for the postcard! I'm so glad you had a good trip!

From:

luzula

Yes, the weather was great! Apparently they'd had some wet weather earlier in the winter--I'm so glad we never had to be knee-deep in water.

I'm glad the postcard got to you!

From:

mergatrude

Aww! It looks like you had a terrific time! Thanks for sharing the photos. :)

From:

luzula

Glad you enjoyed them! Yes, I had a wonderful time.

From:

wintercreek

This looks so awesome! Thank you for sharing pictures. :D

From:

luzula

I'm glad you enjoyed them! : )

From:

hurry_sundown

Lovely pics, darling. Thanks for sharing. I'm so jealous. *g* Except for the part where I do not like the cold. Do not like. *brrr*

From:

luzula

There is no cold. There is only clothes not fitted for the weather. *g*

(This is a Swedish saying that I used to hate when my gym teacher said it, but there is actually truth in it--we had really great clothes on the trip.)

From:

umadoshi

Such lovely dogs! ^_^ Thanks for sharing the photos.

From:

luzula

Glad you enjoyed them! : )

From:

china_shop

Ooooooooooooooooh! \o/

From:

luzula

I know, right? I could look at those dogs forever.

From:

ride_4ever

Best. Photo Montage. Ever.

'Til the day I finally make my dogsledding trip I can at least "visit" via your pics! TYK for sharing!

From:

luzula

Yeah, I can't get enough of these dogs. I miss them. *sigh*

From:

boxofdelights

That looks like so much fun! How fast did you travel? Does it feel fast?

From:

luzula

It is a lot of fun! Ten kilometers per hour is pretty standard under good snow conditions. And yes, it does feel quite fast compared to cross-country skiing.

From:

tamsin

Such beautiful dogs! It looks like you had a great time!

From:

luzula

I did, yes! And they are so lovely.

From:

calvinahobbes

I have bern moving for four days and am not caught up on DW at all, but I saw this go by and just had to cheer. I can't wait to see these on a bigger-than-phone screen *_* \o/

From:

luzula

Oh, good luck with your moving! The cute husky dogs will still be here when you come back. : )

From:

podfic_lover

Great selection, Luz!

Yeah, we had a lot of fun and good discussions.

Also, thanks for showing of my skills. ;)

Edit: I miss the dogs (and company), too. Maybe another trip in a few years?

Edited Date: 2017-05-16 09:13 pm (UTC)