Why you should ride a dog sled this winter, according to a local musher
From skiing to tubing to ice skating, there are plenty of ways to enjoy New England during the winter months.
But have you tried dog sledding?
“A lot of people we get, dog sledding is something that’s been on their bucket list their entire lives,” said Wesley Guerin, a musher at Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel in Jefferson, N.H. “People are like, ‘I’ve wanted to do this since I was a small child.'”
Guerin offers the following reasons why you should go dog sledding this season.
You’ll love the view
Guerin said visitors are often blown away by Muddy Paw’s gorgeous mountain views before they even get on a sled.
“You come around and see 80-some-odd dogs, and you’ve got the beautiful Presidential Range behind,” he said. “We call that turn as you walk in Oh My God Corner.”
On the tours, guests travel by dog sled between five and 13 miles, and some trails go almost 1,000 feet in elevation.
“You get some fantastic views of the Presidential Range, which we’re very fortunate to be able to see every day we’re out here,” Guerin said.
You can learn a new skill
Typically, eight to 12 dogs are hooked up to each sled, Guerin explained. The passengers sit in the sled, and the musher stands in the back and drives.
“The sleds work similar to a set of skis,” Guerin said. “You’re going to stand on your runners, and you’ve got your handle bars. It’s all about weight distribution. You lean left and right and are able to carve through the snow.”
Guerin said guests also have the opportunity to get right up with the musher and help steer during the trip and learn how to say dog sledding commands, such as “Hike!” (go), “Woah!” (stop), “Gee!” (turn right), and “Haw!” (turn left).
“If you are excited and upbeat, they’re going to respond to that, whereas if you’re more calm and collected, they’re more calm and laidback,” Guerin said.
You can socialize with dogs
Guerin said his company’s 83 Alaskan huskies are social, friendly, and love meeting with the visitors. In fact, interaction with the dogs — which range in age from 2 to 11 — is worked into each tour.
“People ask me all the time, ‘Do the dogs like doing this?'” Guerin said. “I say, ‘They love doing it because they are absolutely elated every time they go out.’ Their body language and facial expressions say it all.”
Dog sledding is easy to find
Plenty of New England states offer dog sledding tours. Other spots across the region where you can hop on a dog sled include Hilltown Sleddogs in West Chesterfield, Maine Dogsledding Adventures in Millinocket, Maine, and Eden Dog Sledding in Eden Mills, Vt.
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Michigan is full of sinners, according to new study
Michigan is one of the most sinful states in the country and it’s apparently because of how angry and jealous we are. That’s according to a new study published by Wallethub Wednesday, which ranked Michigan as the ninth most sinful state.
The study ranked the states based on seven different categories with various metrics used to determine a score for each category. The seven categories are:
Some of the metrics used to determine scores included violent crimes per capita, theft, obesity, drug use, casinos per capita and more. The data was compiled using several different sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Trade Commission, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and more according to the study.
Michigan’s high ranking appears to be due to Top 10 scores in the Anger & Hatred category and the Jealousy category. Michigan finished tenth and sixth respectively in those areas, while also pulling in a 14th and 15th ranking for Vanity and Laziness.
Interestingly enough, Michigan finished 42nd in Greed and 27th in Lust, the only two categories where the state was not in the top half. Data shared by the study ranked Michigan with the lowest percent per capita of people with gambling disorders, which is surprising considering how many casinos are in the state.
Nevada came in as the most sinful state, followed closely by Florida and California. Vermont was rated the least sinful state in the union.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL Comes to Sydney Opera House
Direct from the Parliamentary Despatch Box, the Sydney Opera House today announced that renowned satirist Jonathan Biggins will tackle one of Australia's most memorable Prime Ministers, Paul Keating, in a highly anticipated new comedy, The Gospel According to Paul.
Audiences are invited to set their Antique French clocks for a satirical masterclass in the Playhouse from 13-18 May as Biggins distils Keating's idiosyncrasies, focussing on key biographical milestones, landmark political achievements and personal obsessions.
The Gospel According to Paul paints a comic, insightful and occasionally poignant portrait of Keating, the man that - as he tells it - "single-handedly shaped contemporary Australia". Biggins delves into the life and times of the abrasive and erudite Labour Party leader who trained at the knee of Jack Lang, treated economics as an art form, demanded we confront the wrongs of our colonial past; and, perhaps most fascinating of all, shared a great love of the arts and classical music in particular.
Despite Keating's oftentimes divisive politics and proclivities, his way with words is undeniable. Biggins' one-man show encapsulates the former PM's uproarious and acerbic debating style, firing off an ever-growing list of memorable zingers from the man who stubbornly refuses to fade into obscurity.
Audiences of Sydney Theatre Company's long-running Wharf Revue will be familiar with Biggins' uncanny sketches as Keating. Beyond the undeniable likeness, Biggins (like so many Australians) has long been fascinated by Keating. This full-length production showcases Keating's eviscerating wit, rich rhetoric and ego the size of Everest. Biggins asks the question - what can we learn today from this singular politician, and the momentous era in our country's history that he dominated?
Biggins says: "In the many years I've been playing Paul Keating, I've never sensed the audience missing his presence on the political stage as much as I do now. As the revolving door that now passes for the Prime Minister-ship turns ever more pointlessly, they miss his wit, resolution and imagination; his pursuit of the big idea and his courage to tackle big issues. And what better place than the Sydney Opera House, symbol of so many of the values he believed in, to give people a reminder of where this country could go if we only had someone to lead us."
Sydney Opera House Head of Programming, Fiona Winning, says: "With a lifelong interest in architecture and love of theatre, the Hon Paul Keating has been a long supporter of the Sydney Opera House. It is only fitting that we welcome Jonathan Biggins back beneath the sails to celebrate arguably one of Australia's best Parliamentary performers. The Gospel According to Paul is a show that promises to be all iceberg and no tip, and not the other way around!"
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