Mushing in Maine
The camping trip was "very civilized"

By Diane Daniel, , Globe Correspondent, 03/31/02

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Not that many years ago, Jill Wassong wasn't a dog fan. Especially big dogs. That was until she met Mark Whitlock and Sam, his 75-pound Samoyed, a dog bred for Siberian explorations. By this winter, she was suggesting they go dog-sledding and camping in Maine.

The couple, who live in Arlington, called their trip over Presidents' Day weekend "very civilized winter camping."

Wassong, 41, a photo editor, decided they would go with Mahoosuc Guide Service (www.mahoosuc.com) in the Bear River Valley, just north of Bethel in western Maine. The outfitter leads dog sled, canoe, and Native American cultural trips, with an emphasis on traditional equipment.

There were eight travelers and two guides on the outing. They met on Friday for a trip overview and briefing, then gathered on Saturday morning to get acquainted with the dogs before starting out.

"We got to walk in their pen and walk around and talk to them," Wassong said. "They were all so nice and eager, but not obnoxious. They were very excited about getting going."

Everyone drove to Lake Umbagog, where they split into two groups. Five people mushed across the lake and five skied cross-country to the camp the outfitter keeps up in the winter.

Whitlock, 40, a piano technician, skied and Wassong mushed. She joined guide Polly Mahoney on the runners of the sled.

"I liked going across the lake," Wassong said, "but not the part where we were careening through the woods. It was hard to keep my balance. I fell off a few times in the woods when I lost my grip."

"The skiing was really interesting," Whitlock said, because Chris Knapp, the other guide, "was pointing out animal tracks along the way."

As for the weather, that weekend was mild, reaching into the 40s. "When we were mushing, it was warm enough that we had to stop for the dogs to cool off," Whitlock said.

Both nights they camped on the shore of the lake. "When we got there, we got firewood, and Jill and I chopped a hole in the ice for water," Whitlock said. "Because they're into doing things in the traditional North Woods way, we used an ice chopper - a blade on the end of a bar. It took an hour to get to water."

Mahoosuc keeps canvas tents up all winter for their weekend and day outings, and handles all the food and supplies. The group congregated around the cook tent because it was the warmest, though all the tents have wood stoves. The floors are covered with fir boughs, providing cushion and a nice smell.

In the afternoon, Wassong and Whitlock were able to hang out with some of the dogs. "Of course, not having Sam, I had this need to pet dogs," Whitlock said.

On Sunday, it was Whitlock's turn to mush. "I loved it. I had the greatest time," he said. "I liked the lake and the trails in the woods. It was a lot of up and down, and going around all these turns."

He was particularly impressed with Mahoney's connection to the dogs. "You can see how she interacts with the dogs and see how she communicates with them. And she was training a new lead dog."

Knapp showed them how to make a fire with a bow drill.

"You make a rudimentary drill, it turns around a shaft, which in turn starts a fire. I had never seen it done," Whitlock said. "Chris was saying how everything you need is in the forest, how you need to respect the balance and not overuse it."

So, what was Sam's reaction when his owners returned bearing the scents of all those dogs? Luckily, they had a chance to shower before driving home. "We tried to be careful about that," Whitlock said. "He would have been upset."

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ddaniel@globe.com.