Mush ado at Asessippi this season

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This article was published 23/12/2015 (3562 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

INGLIS — There’s a new run at Asessippi Ski Area and Resort this season — and you’ll need a special pair of skis to ride it.

Earlier this month, Bluesky Expeditions moved its 28-dog sled team from Churchill to a semi-permanent camp at the base of the ski hill just north of Russell.

“We travel as a pack,” said Jenafor Azure, who helps run the sledding company with her partner, Gerald.

Bluesky signed a five-year contract with Asessippi this winter, in an effort to make the business more accessible.

“A lot of people can’t afford to go to Churchill … now they just have a short drive … and people don’t have to break the financial bank to access this kind of recreation,” Jenafor said.

This year’s lack of snow caused Asessippi and Bluesky to open later than they would have liked, but in the last three days the mushers have given rides to more than 28 people.

The couple cleared 90 per cent of the 3.5-km trail when they arrived at the site this year and if more snow comes they will be able to offer longer tours — currently the run lasts 20 to 30 minutes.

Gerald and Jenafor will spend the next three months living on the hill in a 12-by-18-foot tent next to their outdoor dog kennel.

“It’s comfortable, you don’t want to be living on top of your gear and stuff that long,” Gerald said, adding that the tent is equipped with a wood stove to keep it toasty.

Gerald has spent most of his life mushing having grown up in the small community of Cormorant, which is located roughly 80 km north of The Pas and is only accessible by rail.

“A lot of time was spent out on the land trapping, commercial fishing and hunting,” Gerald said. “That was our family way of living … and we did that all by dog team up until the snowmobiles came on board in the mid-’70s.”

He moved to Churchill in 2000 with two dogs and no intention of starting a sled dog touring company, but in 2002 Bluesky was up and running as a registered business.

Jenafor is originally from Vancouver Island, but came to Churchill around the same time for a temporary position at the town’s health centre.

“I was one of Gerald’s first 13 customers when he started out and the rest is history,” Jenafor said, adding that Bluesky is now one of three major dog sled touring companies in Churchill.

Even with thorough planning, moving the entire operation to Westman came with a few surprises — four adorable surprises to be exact.

“All of our females are fixed, but we can’t fix them until they’re over a year old because our dogs live outside,” Jenafor said. “Little miss Nellie was tied up a little too close to Merlin … and somehow they managed, on the end of their chains, to make it happen.”

Jenafor and Gerald had rented a baggage car to transport their 28 kennels, sleds and gear via train to Asessippi. Nellie went into labour on Dec. 1 — just two days before they were supposed to hit the road.

The momma dog gave birth to two puppies hours before getting on the train and — because the train in Churchill waits for no one — she had the other two as they were rolling down the tracks.

The tiny puppies, two males and two females, have been a huge hit with visitors and Bluesky has initiated a naming contest on their Facebook page.

“(My son) Reichen wanted a husky puppy for Christmas but it wasn’t possible, so this was a Christmas miracle,” said Nadine Swan, who travelled from Yorkton, Sask., with her family for the dog sledding and skiing.

The family bundled up and hit the winding, wooded trail along the Shell River on Monday.

“It was a terrific ride, the dogs are so obedient and it was beautiful to interact with them and they followed Gerald’s command perfectly,” Swan said. “It’s a terrific complement to the whole winter activities. It’s brilliant for the area.”

At the Bluesky Outfitters tent at the bottom of the hill’s first run, visitors can check out the puppies and learn about the team and Gerald’s Métis heritage as it pertains to sled dogs.

Prior to getting in the sled, passengers get a safety lesson and learn how to stop the sled in case the dogs see a rabbit and Gerald needs to hop off and get them back on track.

“They are animals and they do listen 99 per cent of the time, but it’s that one per cent that you have to worry about,” he said.

During the ride, the six-dog team enthusiastically runs down a sometimes bumpy trail and is directed solely by Gerald’s voice commands. The picturesque scenery lining the path is something to behold as the sled whips through the trees.

Dog sled rides are $65 for adults and $45 for children, plus taxes. Two people can fit in the sled at a time and children must be accompanied by an adult.

Visit asessippi.com/bluesky to find out more and book an expedition and visit facebook.com/Bluesky-Bed-Sled-Bluesky-Expeditions to enter the puppy naming contest.

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