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Dave Daley is the originator of the Hudson Bay Quest and a competitor in this unique northern dog sled race since 2004. |
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| Wapusk
Adventures would like to thank Canada
Goose Expedition Clothing for their support in the 2008 Hudson
Bay Quest. |
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Wapusk
Adventures is the proud recipient of the 2005 Travel
Manitoba Aboriginal Tourism Award. |
A Trip Through Wapusk Adventures' Dog Yard
Waiting to run at the 'dog yard' - All of our dogs are happy and healthy and love to run. We keep a small kennel and try our best to get each and every dog out and exercised throught the season. Nestled in the trees... as nestled as you cen get with our crooked little trees... the dog yard is sheltered from the north winds in winter and in summer, we rub the dogs down with 'bug juice' to help keep the mosquitoes at bay.
Roughing it in style - The ol' trapper's camp is sporting a new trapper's cabin! A comfortable spot to enjoy your hot chocolate and bannock on chilly arctic day... complete with 'Dog Sled parking' stalls, caribou skins, snowshoes and, of course, the wood stove!
Right next to the trappers' cabin is our old prospectors tent, now used as a backdrop for the 'dog talk' where we explain the basics of dogsledding, dog care and how Wapusk Adventures came to be... pay attention, there will be an exam! The dog talk is a serious and important lecture demanding full attention and mandatory applause after Dave's jokes. The only interruptions allowed are for the pre-run dog howl or visits by our resident bird friends, a damily of Gray Jays also known as Whiskeyjacks also known as Camp Robbers...
Running dog sleds without snow is a little slow... not to mention hard on the skis. So, Wapusk Adventures runs a super deluxe training cart. Its a great way to experience the thrill of running with a ten dog team and the true power of these animal athletes!
When the snow flies, so do our sleds. By early November, there is usually enough snow to pull out the dog sleds for another season. This year, Wapusk has added two 'student driver dog sleds' with room for three (sometimes four...) riders. These custom sleds allow you to experience the thrill of driving your own dog team while having a musher and guide (and brake) right behind you. A great way to experience the Ididamile! Just another way we try to make this taste of dog sledding something special...
When the frost covers our spruce forest and thetemperatures dip down around -15 or -20, conditions are perfect for dog sledding. The dogs really pick up the pace as they travel our winding circuit throught the 'drunken forest' and frozen muskeg.
Enjoy a hot chocolate by the woodstove after your dog sled adventure. Inside the cabin, we share a few inside stories about the Hudson Bay Quest, life in Churchill and give out our 'Ididamile' diplomas. After the tourists are done for the day, the cabin turns into a guard house... with Dave or Ernest taking turns staying overnight to protect the dogs from wolves or polar bears passing by...
...And, of course, what could make your trip to our dog yard just a little more memorable? Matching his and hers outhouses! Enjoy all the luxuries of home... minus running water, heat, electricity and an actual toilet... in the rugged wilderness of Canada's sub-arctic... Enjoy the luxury vaulted ceiling in the ladies' facilities (almot two inches higher than the mens'!) See you in Churchill!!!