Have you ever wondered what it would be like to glide silently down a trail while being pulled by a team of powerful huskies?  Black Magic Kennels is offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences of dog sled rides, drive your own team and “Mushing 101″ weekends.  Come feel the “magic” with our athletes. Please don’t be offended when we ask your size/weight. We have weight limits as we need to determine the size of the team and sled capacity.

If you can’t find the experience you were looking for, contact us and we can custom tailor a dog sled experience for you.

HALF THE FUN IS GETTING HERE!

Black Magic Kennels is “Off The Beaten Path” (six miles from the plowed county road), so your experience begins and ends by being picked up and returned to the trailhead by an Iron Dog…a snowmobile. We only book one experience per day so we can spend as much time asking questions, touring the kennel, etc. as YOU’D like.

CLICK HERE FOR GRAND MARAIS AREA LODGING INFORMATION

Plan on spending most of the day Off The Beaten Path as we will pick you up at the trailhead at approximately 10:00 for the 20 minute to 1/2-hour ride to the kennel. You will have a chance to meet the dogs, play with puppies and tour the kennel before we hitch up the dogs around noon for your run. After getting back to the kennel and watering the dogs, we’ll invite you in for delicious cookies, coffee, hot chocolate or tea to warm-up before your snowmobile ride back to the trailhead.

“Thanks again for everything.  The best part of the day was that you guys made us feel like you had all day to spend with us.  (Okay, I guess you actually  DID spend all day with us…)  We got to chat with you, learn about the dogs and a little bit of your life story, we told you some of our stories, and of course we got to experience the fun of dog sledding (without freezing to death, for which we are very grateful!), and you answered all of our dog sledding questions.  It was so, so, so, so very much fun”! ~ The Brehemer/Nyquist Family of New Hope, MN

Dog Sled Ride
Upon reaching our kennel, you will meet the dogs that will be giving you the ride of a lifetime and be given instruction on what to do and what NOT to do while riding in the sled. You will be loaded safely in the sled while we hitch up the team that will take you on some of the most scenic trails in Northeastern Minnesota. Upon our return to the kennel we will water the dogs and put them back to their comfy beds of warm straw. Your day is capped off with a warm drink and sweet treat before the snowmobile ride back to the trail head.
“Moose Loop”  (appx. 45 min.) Cost per sled: $175*
“Lunch Loop” (appx.  2 hrs.)    Cost per sled: $275*
(Per sled: 1 adult; 1 adult with pre-teen; 1 adult with 2 small children. Weight limits apply)

Drive Your Own Dog Team
The difference between this experience and the dog sled ride is you get to drive your own dog team…no sitting in a bumpy sled.  After meeting the dogs, we will give you instruction on sled handling basics…the most important being no matter what, don’t let go. You will learn that the snowhook is a parking brake, the sled brake is just that, a brake and the track between the runners is your manual shifter.  Upon returning to the kennel, we will water the dogs and put them back to their beds of warm straw.  Your day is also capped off with a warm drink and sweet treat before the snowmobile ride back to the trail head.
“Moose Loop”  (appx. 45 min.) Cost per person: $200*
“Lunch Loop”  (appx.  2 hrs.)    Cost per person: $300*

Mushing 101 The Full Mushing Experience
Your experience will begin on Friday afternoon by meeting the dogs, but instead of just hopping in or on the sled you will learn what we do on a day-to-day basis taking care of a kennel of racing sled dogs. Feeding and watering the dogs is just the beginning. There is also “scooping up” after them, foot and joint care, harnessing, bootie-ing and just learning the dogs’ personalities and nuances. Friday evening you will help with the feeding chores and after dinner retire to our quaint (no indoor plumbing) guest bunkhouse. After a hearty breakfast, Saturday morning you will receive sled handling basics after helping with the morning chores.  We will then hitch up a team of excited huskies for you to run your own team between one of us and our guides. Upon your return to the kennel, you will water the dogs, un-harness them and put them back to their beds of warm straw. After the evening’s chores are done you will be served a warm home-cooked meal and be able to share your stories of the day around a campfire. Graduating from Mushing 101After breakfast on Sunday you will again help with the chores. Before your snowmobile ride back to the trail head, you will be presented a graduation certificate from your “Mushing 101″ weekend.
Cost per person: $495* (all meals included)

“Thank you so much to each of you for the part you played in making us feel so welcome and encouraging us to try something so completely off our own personal beaten paths…we had a ball”!!! ~The Lambert Family of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

*$25/per person discount given if you have your own snowmobile transportation to the kennel. 50%  deposit required to reserve your date.

Not finding the experience you were looking for? Contact us and we can custom tailor a dog sled experience just for you.

CLICK HERE FOR GRAND MARAIS AREA LODGING INFORMATION

Would you like more information?
E-mail us at: info@BlackMagicKennels.com
Phone: 218-349-7960