mountain musher

Wally my guide and his team of dogs were great, my wife rode with his daughter Sara,good people and great guides, know the area and the lay of the land. The dogs were eager to work. Pumpkin bread provided Denise Wally's wife is an added experience. Bill the driver is a knowledgeable character. Definitely a repeat adventure

This was the second time our family has gone dog sledding. We chose Mountain Mushers because we thought it sounded like they are in this because they love what they do and less about being a tourist attraction. We drove from Breck and it was worth the drive. Everyone was fantastic and we all had a blast. Sarah and Bill are great guides and all of the dogs are special. Tiger, Nike, and Putz especially won us over.

This a family-run outfit that's been in business for ~25 yrs. We were picked up at our hotel in Avon as the last of the twelve guests, which included two young girls. Outdoor temperature was 28 degrees on the van's thermometer but it was warm inside. The ride ~2,000 up the mountain to the dogs (at ~8,900 ft elevation; a private trail 10 mi. west of Beaver Creek, near Wolcott) took about fifteen min. Six sleds, each with a team of ten mixed husky/other (greyhound, German shorthair, etc.) dogs were ready to go. They were excitedly barking and tugging at their harnesses, anticipating the morning run. Our guide, Cameron, introduced himself and encouraged us to interact with the dogs while everyone donned goggles, took photos and paid fees. He helped us settle into the sled and covered us with a warm blanket, tucking it around our legs and feet. Our team readily responded to the hearty "Hike!" from our musher, and the sled lurched forward...we were off, following the other five sleds. It was bumpy in places but not generally uncomfortable. The dogs frequently had the urge to defecate, and did so while running full-tilt -very smelly! - and it was somewhat amusing to see the dogs run on two front paws while keeping the back two hoisted around their shoulders, clear of any falling debris. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery in the distance while learning a bit about the history of the company, driver and dogs. Some of the latter had run and even won the Iditarod. All teams took a break for the dogs to rest, while humans could partake in hot chocolate and buttered homemade pumpkin bread. It was also a good opportunity to pet the dogs and take photos. All of the mushers were friendly and approachable. Soon we were off and running again. Partway along this section we stopped, and each of us was allowed the chance to act as musher ourselves, with the guide riding behind. We were taught how to stand on the runners, communicate with the dogs, and apply the brakes- so cool! A very memorable experience. We boarded the van and were taken back to our hotel, about 2-1/2 hrs, total.

A specular day made so special by Cameron and his wonderful team of doggies. This is one of those activities that must be done, experiencing this is priceless.

Yesterday my family & I had the opportunity to experience our first dog sled ride. It was an amazing experience!!!!! My son & I rode with Sarah. She was so nice, shared lots of cool info. & answered all of our questions. It was such a thrill for my son when he was able to help her drive the sled. Not even halfway through the ride he turned to me & said "Now I know what I want to do when I grow up...... be a musher." My youngest son & husband rode with Wally & had the same feelings about this experience. We wish we could do it again today!! I highly recommend this company to anyone visiting the area in Colorado. It will be the highlight of your trip!

We had a really enjoyable end to our holiday with a lovely dog sled ride through the beautiful Colorado scenery. The mushers were extremely knowledgable and everyone was very friendly, including all of the dogs!

It was a great family experience my boys loved it, the mushers were personable and knowledgeable. The dogs were friendly and it was beautiful through the mountains

I had so much fun... I want to go back again today! Beautiful scenery ...beautiful dogs, kind, caring mushers!!

My friend and I were lucky enough to go on a dog sled ride with 10 amazing dogs on Monday (well and Sarah too!) We had the best time. The dogs took us out into the most amazing area where you saw no signs of humans other than us. No tracks, no snow mobiles, no sounds, nothing other than our 3 sleds, 30 dogs, 6 guests and 3 dog sled drivers. It was so much fun. We were allowed to interact with the dogs that wanted us to do so. It is very clear which dogs are a bit shy and even more clear the dogs that would prefer you just get down on the ground and hang out with them. It is obvious that the dogs love doing this and that their owners love them. If you have any time at all, please do not hesitate to go. Oh, and the pumpkin bread is amazing too!! Thank you Sarah for taking us to such a lovely place. I will treasure my calendar and your pictures of the dogs in it for a long time.

One of the highlights of our trip! We loved everything about it! Each of us had a favorite dog! Mine was Sky!

What a wonderful time. A Family run business that really cares about their dogs and their customers.

Mountain Mushers is amazing! The power of these dogs is unbelievable! The mushers who run the team of dogs are very knowledgable and make the experience truly spectacular!

On December 26, 2012, my friend and I wanted to try a different experience at the ski resorts so we signed up for a dog sled ride. The outfitters were all very friendly and interacted with all the participants. Our guide was Bill. He provided us with lots of interesting stories about the dogs, outfitters and the area where we rode. We really enjoyed it and would recommend it as good diversion from the typical tourists attractions.

Dog sledding has been on my "bucket list" for several years now. As a Colorado native, it felt remiss to not do this mountain activity. There are not a lot of mushers in Colorado but Mountain Mushers had the most comprehensive web site and I really liked what I saw on-line.In person, it was even better. My husband and I went yesterday and we had SUCH. A. GOOD. TIME!!! From start to finish the experience was wonderful and the crew of Mountain Mushers outstanding.We were picked up from our car at a small parking lot and then driven back to where the dogs were ready with the sleds. When we got out of the van, the dogs were barking and talking and I got this excited buzz in my stomach. It was awesome to see so many dogs all excited to do what they love to do.The mushers encouraged us to pet the dogs and talked to us about each dog and what their personality was like. It was incredible to see the human animal connection! We had Landon as our musher. He is a cutie which is always a little bonus but more importantly he was really nice, funny and answered all of our questions. We learned so much from this experience.The trail was really pretty in the desolate winter way of Colorado. We didn't see any wild animals on this particular trip but the environment is certainly right for it. At about halfway, we stopped and got up to pet dogs or if you wanted to drink hot chocolate and eat pumpkin bread. We opted to pet the dogs :)On the second half, we both got to "drive" the sled which was essentially standing in front of the musher and holding on to the handles. It was awesome to see the dogs working from this angle and put the experience up a notch.When we got back to base camp all the dogs were loaded up and we had the opportunity to tip and buy some artwork. One of the other guests commented to me that it wasn't totally obvious to tip the mushers and she felt that she hadn't tipped enough. Tipping is always a delicate situation but it might help guests if the website mentioned tips - the mushers definitely earn them!We were driven back to our car and the driver (who was also a musher and I've forgotten his name) asked us to start our car to make sure we weren't going to be stranded. Top notch customer service!!This is a more expensive activity to do, BUT when you realize how much the dogs eat and when you see what goes into this activity and you have an amazing time and can't stop talking about it with your husband, sharing pictures and videos with your friends and thinking about the next time you can go, it is totally worth every penny!!!

Mountain Musher is a family-owned and operated sled dog operation out of Bond, Colorado. Just a short hike from Vail and Beavercreek ski resorts, the 2-hour sled dog ride boasts scenic views, education on local fauna, and fresh hot chocolate with homemade pumpkin bread!If you're looking for a remote, non-commercialized sled dog tour, this is the one for you. A shuttle (van) is deployed for pick-up at two designated areas close to Vail and Beavercreek. You will be given directions on how to get there, what to wear, and what to expect.Depending on the weather, you can expect the shuttle ride to be between 30-45 minutes to the remote trail location. Do expect the van to be very cozy with a full load of eager participants. If you get car sick sitting in the way back, consider taking your motion sickness medicine.Dress warmly, it can snow at anytime and the area where the tour starts can have recent, heavy snowfall on the ground. Wear warm, or waterproof boots and your ski gear. Bring your goggles and a neck gaiter, you'll be happy that you did if it snows (and when the dogs kick up snow at a full clip).Expect the dogs to be nutty with excitement when you arrive. Remember, this is what they live each and every day for--running that sled. Your tour guide will tuck you into the sled with wool blankets and a poly tarp to keep you warm and dry. If you want to bring a camera, leave the fancy, bulky Canon at home. Bring something that you can easily get to in one of your pockets and use the wrist band--the ride can be fast and exciting in parts and you don't want to drop it!Ask questions, your guide is eager to answer them. Landon was our tour guide and we loved him to pieces. He knew tons of sled dog knowledge and taught us a lot about the local trees and flora. We would ask for him by name in the future.Cost = $175.00 per person (well worth it for an adventure with superior bragging rights!)