The “Dog Days of Winter” offer fun for all ages. The shorter dog sled races give novice mushers like this the chance to give the sport a try. Dog Days also offers snow sculpting, skijoring, and a bonfire with s’mores and hot cocoa.
Dog Days of Winter (DDW) will return to Cook County March 12 and 13 to celebrate the waning of winter with family-friendly outdoor events featuring a variety of sled dog races, mini sled dog adventures, snowman building contests, snow sculptures and skijoring races and bonfire with s’mores, hot dogs and hot cocoa.
“We sponsor major sled dog events, such as the Gunflint Mail Run and John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon,” said Linda Kratt, director of Visit Cook County. “The popularity of these events is quickly making a name for Cook County as the sled dog capital of the Lower 48 States.
So Visit Cook County is especially excited to support Dog Days of Winter, where visitors can experience what it’s like to participate in sled dog races for themselves.”
On Saturday, March 12, Points Unknown, a family business that offers a variety of dog-sled adventures, will offer DDW Sledding Sampler for just $65 to visitors who want to hop on a sled with an experienced musher and friendly dog teams for a three-mile mini-adventure.
Visitors should gather at the Points Unknown up the Arrowhead Trail just seven miles from Hovland on Highway 61. Advance booking is recommended to ensure availability; contact Linda at (218) 370-0283 or linda@points-unknown.com.
Dog Days events will be held on Sunday, March 13 at Trail Center Lodge, which is halfway up the Gunflint Trail on Poplar Lake. Visitors can participate in Sled Dog Derbies, which include an eight-dog, 23-mile run, a six-dog, 12-mile run, and a four-dog, three-mile run.
All derbies start at 11 a.m. on Sunday and cost $20-$40 to register, depending on the event.
There will also be freestyle skijoring (skate skiing or classic skiing) events, including a two-mile and five-mile race open to all experience levels. Poplar Lake will be groomed for the events, but will not have set tracks. Skijoring costs $10-$15, depending on the race, and begins at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Many activities at this event are free of charge.
Registration is now open for all events listed. For more information, visit www.visitcookcounty.com.
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