AMC Outdoors, January/February 2002

By Madeleine Eno and Katharine Wroth

In 1999, Andrew Norkin and his wife, Catherine, moved from Alaska to Maine for his new position as the AMC's White Mountain Trails director — and brought 16 dogs with them. Andrew still gets out dog sledding frequently and is teaching four dog-sledding workshops with the AMC this winter.

Q. What were your wintertime pursuits as a child?
A. I grew up in Connecticut and as a kid did some cross-country skiing. But my number-one sport was hockey, and I did it all through college.

Q. When did you start dog sledding and what makes this sport so appealing?
A. I moved to Alaska after college. There it's the state sport. I used to like reading Jack London, I love dogs, I love travel, I love adventure. And it's a great way to be in a place where winters are long and snowy. We started off skijoring [cross-country skiing with a single dog leading] and broke into dog mushing from there. I love it because it is a team sport. You're building a team and a bond between you and the dogs. The bonding with the dogs, especially after all the training, makes it so rewarding. You learn each dog's personality and see them learn to work as a team. There is such happiness.

Q. How do you stay warm?
A. I always wear a Capilene or Burgelene union suit — it's my favorite undergarment. And heavy wool socks. I prefer wool over fleece. And I have to say, I like fur products: a fur hat and fur gloves. These are two necessary items for dog mushing, especially in temps well below zero when you're on the back of a sled with the windchill.

The dogs are actually happiest in temperatures of zero to 20 below. They are moving and keeping warm and, because they live outside, are acclimated. Any colder than that, the snow gets abrasive on their feet.

Q. What special equipment do you need?
A. Well, dogs. When we were skijoring we started buying two or three dogs a year. We're up to 16 dogs now. A top Iditarod dog goes for about $5,000. Others range from free to $700. You also need a sled, gang lines, harnesses. And patience. Lots of patience.

Q. What are the dangers?
A. Number one is thin ice. Then there's coming across a moose on the trail. Generally the dogs will want to chase it. The moose doesn't want to get off the trail, so it'll run for a while, then dive off the trail. But the moose can sometimes turn and stomp on the team or the driver. It's rare for a moose to kill a dog. Another danger is the cold and hypothermia. And losing your team. You never let go of your sled or you'll lose your team and be out somewhere 100 miles from the road. The dogs don't wait for you and they might get injured, get in a fight, get [tangled] in a tree.

Q. What's your favorite memory?
A. When I was running the Percy DeWolf Memorial Sled Dog Race. It goes from Dawson City, Yukon, to Eagle, Alaska, and back along the Yukon River — the coldest stretch of North America. But there was a sense of bonding, quiet, stillness, the northern lights just beaming everywhere.

Q. And your worst?
A. When the dogs are in a dog fight and I'm trying to break it up. And getting bit myself.

Q. How do you convince someone to join you?
A. Well, you gotta like dogs. I've taken people from 70 years old to four years old. I tell them about the bonding with dogs and how rewarding that is.

 Winter Revels: Intro  |  Cross-country Skating  |  Dog Sledding  |  Ice Fishing  |  Winter Peakbagging

—Madeleine Eno is Publisher and Co-editor of AMC Outdoors; Katharine Wroth is Associate Editor of AMC Outdoors.