Skijoring is a cross between Nordic Skiing and dog-mushing. The basic principle is that you put on your skis, hook yourself up to a dog or two and "mush." Of course, it's not quite as simple as that… but it's not much more complex than that either.

Before I moved to Alaska 12 years ago, I had never heard of skijoring. At that time, probably not a lot of people "outside" had heard of it. But it has been a thriving sport up here for many years. It is now a fast growing winter sport in area's that get an appreciable amount of snow. Even if you haven't heard of it before, my bet is that you will start hearing about it more and more as it gains in popularity.

The best thing about skijoring is that it doesn't take a whole lot of equipment to get started. The basic things that you need are a dog, a semi experienced cross-country skier, a dog harness made for pulling, and a tug rope with a releasing clip and a belt. Packages are available at:

http://www.tanzilla.ca/cat66_1.htm

This is a Canadian site, so rates are in CAD. The cost for a complete package is $109 - $129 CAD (plus shipping). There is a book on skijoring included with the set.

http://www.coldspotfeeds.com/products.asp?idShopper=631347&id1=63558135&idBasket=&idDept=41

This is an Alaska business. Prices are a la carte. There are some packages, but they do not include the harness for the dog.

Each piece of equipment by itself may not seem so important, but I urge you to get the right equipment if you want to get out there for real. The dog's harness is most important piece, at least to the dog. It distributes the weight evenly across his/her body to maximize their pulling capacity. A healthy dog of 35 pounds is strong enough to pull the average adult if given the right equipment. Never try to skijor with your dog using a regular collar.

You might think that the next most important thing is the persons belt or the tow line, but I assure you that the right kind of releasable clip (attaching those two items) is a life saving feature. Also called a "panic snap," these little baby's are worth their weight in gold (the cost for one runs about $5 - $20). There are all kinds of training clubs, methods and programs for skijor fans. But it is rare to be able to train a dog not to chase that cat, squirrel, or moose that runs suddenly across your trail. If you fall, you may also want to release your dog for his or her safety.

The best way to get started is to find a local club near you. Try to google "skijor" plus your city name. Some clubs are listed at http://www.sleddogcentral.com/skijoring.htm. Your local organization should have clinics for beginners on how to train your dog. The commands that most people use are the same as mushing commands: "Hike" for go, "Gee" for a right turn, "Haw" for a left turn, and "Whoa" (or any string of expletives) for stop. A good command to teach your dog in any situation is "on by," which means to ignore a distraction such as another dog (or a squirrel, cat or moose).

Go to http://www.skijoring.org/ to check out my local organization in Anchorage. They have an excellent website with more tips about how to start, train, and find equipment. They even have an adopt-a-dog program when skijor trained dogs become available.

Some people and dogs become more sedentary during the winter. Why not turn the winter into the best part of the year for everyone? If you do not have a dog, some programs even provide "loaners." Get out and try something new this winter!