Re-running this guest post about a winter adventure in the Great White North of Minnesota...
By Kara Aiello
I love to travel, I
always have. Through travel I learn about new cultures and people, challenge
fears and prejudices and I do so from the endurance and strength of my
wheelchair. Although I have taken many
trips that have excited me beyond the text of a book, there is one trip that I
want to share that has been a dream of mine since my relatives in Minnesota
took this trip back in the early part of the decade, Back in 2011, with the
support of Wilderness Inquiry, an organization that specializes in trips across
the globe and makes it possible for all people to travel, including those with
disabilities, I flew out to Minneapolis MN to visit my family and embark on a
dog sled trip up north near the Canadian border.
The dog sled trip was to be a four day trip with two days of
travel through quaint towns and open Minnesota land-scapes. The two days in between would include dog
sledding, hiking and challenging our grit and limbs to the midwest cold, by
sleeping outside in 10 degree weather and jumping into a frozen pond before
running to the safety of a warm sauna.
I flew out to Minneapolis on a Wednesday afternoon and met
my cousin at the airport who took me to her home to prepare for the trip. I love staying with these guys as it makes
travel all the more easy. I don’t have to worry about dragging gear across
country for I get everything I need from them.
Their middle name after all is “outdoors.” I find that when I stay with them to prepare
for a trip, it becomes a night of entertainment with a comic twist that the
camera would end up documenting. One
picture taken as we prepared to pack was me wearing an oversized beaver hat and
gloves to match. There was no way I was
going to wear this on the trip, but the picture is forever on face book for a
good laugh.
On the day of the trip, my cousin dropped me off at the
Wilderness inquiry headquarters where I met fellow participants and crew who
would be our guides on this trip. There
were families and singles and people with and without disabilities. Some of the disabilities were visible to the
eye and some were not. Their experiences
were developmental or mental health and taking this trip allowed them a place
to challenge themselves in a way that other life experiences may not have
offered them. So we took off on our seven hour trip that
allowed us the time to get to know one another and take in the colors and quiet
living of the Minnesota landscape. Once
we arrived, we unpacked our gear and headed to our home where we would live for
the next four days.
This trip to our new home was an adventure in itself. Those of us who used wheelchairs were assisted
into a one man sled that was sturdy and comfortable. Our gear was placed in these sleds for
transport as well. Our guides who would
become close friends tied themselves to the sled and would become our human
sled drivers and take us to home base.
As we traveled, I felt a sense of excitement and awe at being able to do
this. I love feeling the cold wind lap across my face and the smoothness of the
ice and snow under the sled.
We traveled
across frozen lakes and when we came to a steep hill going upward, yes upward
our human guides ran with all of their might and power up the hill and man did
we fly. It was scary and exhilarating all at the same time. Once we got to the top, I could only imagine
how fast they would take us going back down the hill. After all, this was a
rush for them as well as us. Once inside, we were introduced to more staff that
would prepare our meals and were shown where we would sleep the next few
days. It was a large cabin like
structure with a ballroom size mess hall with army style tables and a small
fire place with couches and chairs that made for a cozy evening after being out
in the cold. We unpacked our gear, had
dinner and then met with the team and two of the dogs who would be taking us on
our adventure over the next few days.
One of the dogs that came in was so friendly and sociable she had to
make sure she greeted each and every person that was in the room about four or
five times. The other dog that came in
was very shy and kept to herself. But I
was excited to have my picture taken with her even if it was more stressful for
her then me.
On Friday began the day of dog sledding and hiking. Although many opted for the hike, I was one
of the few who begged to stay back so I could prepare for the dog
sledding. One group went in the AM and I
went in the PM with another group. It
was both exciting and nerve wracking to hear about the AM group’s trip with the
dogs. The hills were steep some said and
there were nooks and crannies that could cause the sled to tip over especially
if the dogs slowed down. Now just to
give an image, I live with brittle bones from birth and here I was, ready to
embark on this trip…am I crazy? Yes I am
but I was up for it. When it was my turn
to go, I was escorted outside and helped into my travel sled to escort me to
where the dogs are.
Once in the sled, my guide would take me down snowy steps
with the help of others and I found this to be rather smooth, not rough at
all. Then we embarked up steep snowy
white hills that glimmered when the sun hit it just right and helped us to see
for miles around. We got to where the dogs are and I transferred into my dog
sled and was warmed with blankets and pillows to cushion any hard blows below
the sled. One by one, each dog was
attached to the sled and once attached the dogs came to life with excited howls
and barking and if not kept under control would have taken off without the rest
of the dogs or the guides ready to lead.
Once all were attached we were ready to embark on our 2 ½ hour journey
through the wilderness.
My sled started slow as we began traveling through the woods
with the pathway very narrow and steep.
The dogs knew what to do and where to go as my guide directed the speed
of our movement which was about 7 or 8 miles an hour. At times our travels were on flat snowy
runways and across large snow covered lakes. At other times we would travel up
and down mountainous inclines that felt more like a roller coaster ride. Nature was everywhere with birds chirping and
the son peered through the trees as we traveled. On one adventurous move, we had to literally
jump over a snowy groove in order to get the sled over a mound of snow. I was
amazed at how cushioned the jump was and once down we were on our way
again. The trip included moments of
comedy too as the dogs would tend to get over excited and get their ropes
twisted around one another. When that happened, we would need to take a five
minute break and get the dogs untangled.
To end the adventure, we had to tackle a death defying hill that came up
just past the cabin and would bring us back to home base. The hill was so steep that I felt I was
looking down at a ski slope as we began to head down the hill. The guides had to hold on to the dogs hard as
we headed down the hill full force. Let’s just say it was a terrifying rush and
I’m glad we made it out alive.
In the evening, we settled in for dinner and reminiscing of
the days travels. We also prepared to
embark on our next adventure which took us out into the elements to sleep over
night in 10 degree temperatures. In
order to survive the night, we wore layers of clothing and had special mats and
sleeping bags that kept the heat incased within our own sleeping bags that we
took with us. We also were given candy
bars to eat in the night should we become hungry. I never knew that we burned
calories when our bodies were cold. We
slept on an open frozen lake near the cabin and our eyes were treated to millions
of stars in night sky. I slept OK for
my first adventure but not like I was used to and did not eat like I should
have. The next morning I was starving
and also came to see that some of our group became so cold they had to go back
inside and sleep in the warmth of the cabin.
I went back inside and devoured a full breakfast of eggs, bacon and
anything else I could get my hands on. Yumm.
Later in the day, I was treated to a hike in the afternoon
that was a surprise highlight of my trip.
Although I am very independent when back home in my every-day world of
accessibility, I had to allow myself to be OK with depending on other’s to
assist me when traveling through the deepness of the snow. But in allowing myself to do this, I also
opened myself up to a world that I would never be able to get to with my
wheelchair unless I put skis on my wheels.
I was escorted in my sled through open frozen lakes and snowy woods and
taken to a part of the woods that felt like a winter wonderland. We entered a woodsy door that took us into
nature at its most raw and beautiful.
There was snow everywhere on trees, logs and ground. We did not know
where the ground started and ski ended.
We came across a frozen waterfall and river that was partially flowing
and breathtaking. I felt exhilarated and
free as we embraced nature around us. It
was a memory I will never forget.
Our last adventure was one I somewhat participated in. A group of us went out to where a frozen pond
was poking out through the ground and people took turns jumping into the eye
opening, jaw dropping icy cold water. Once
out, people would warm up in a Luke warm sauna that was right next door to the
pond. Although I did not dive in with
everyone else, I relaxed in the sauna and tried to get warm when the door would
open up to the outside and people would come in and spray me with the icy cold
water.
On the last day of the trip, people participated in a last
day hiking and then we packed our gear and said goodbye to our hosts at the
cabin. Once outside we embarked down a steep snowy hill with a speed that felt
like 90 miles an hour. We then crossed frozen lakes again which took us back to
our cars. We drove home for seven hours
and reminisced about out adventures and once back to home base, said our
goodbyes and promised we would meet once again for another Wilderness Inquiry
trip in the future.
Story and pictures by Kara Aiello - Used with permission.
