Winterdance Dog Sled Tours
Winterdance Dog Sled Tours is an Ontario dogsledding tour company operating out of the Haliburton Highlands. It is owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Hank DeBruin and Tanya McCready-DeBruin, with help from their four dogsledding children, Logan, Dustyn, Michaela and Jessica.
The couple started dogsledding 26 years ago as a hobby while they lived in Guelph, ON, and quickly fell in love with the sport. Soon, they say, they were ‘totally addicted’ and their dog team was steadily growing. They relocated to the Haliburton Highlands – where snow conditions are more predictable and the dogsledding trails are excellent! – 22 years ago, knowing that there was interest in dogsledding among the greater community, but not a lot of opportunity to try it. They took their dogsled endeavour full-time and have created one amazing experience for folks looking to adventure in the great outdoors!
Hank and Tanya have 150 purebred Siberian Huskies, all of which are a very loved part of the DeBruin family. Each dog has its own unique personality, and if you are unfamiliar with the breed the DeBruins say
“Let me assure you there is no friendlier dog than the Siberian – they absolutely love people and attention.”
Hank’s love and commitment to their Huskies along with his quest for adventure has taken him and his dogs all over North America. They have competed in four Yukon Quests and two Alaskan Iditarods and many other shorter races. Along with their other amazing guides Hank can still be found guiding – and those who get to tour with him say he has stories few on the planet can rival.
The DeBruins invite you to explore Haliburton’s breathtaking wilderness on their private 2200-acre secluded property, located between Haliburton Lake and Algonquin Park. Options are available for a two hour, half day, full day, moonlit or multi-day trip; they even offer helicopter lifts from Toronto to come and sled with them for the day. Dogsledding offers a unique opportunity to experience the solitude, remoteness, and picturesque beauty of our cottage country region, and your experience is completely customisable depending on your group.
Imagine a winter wonderland – snow sparkling, your dog team trotting softly ahead of you, whilst all you hear are the sleds runners whispering beneath you and the huskies’ breath in the crisp clean air. By sharing their passion for sled dogs and the sport, Hank and Tanya aim to give people a true appreciation for their wonderful dogs and the adventure of dogsledding.
Abundant with wildlife their expansive property boasts rugged wilderness and lakes which will take your breath away. The trail you will experience is near the end of a road system heading north – so once you leave the road, other than the trailhead cabin, and sugar shack you will see nothing but untouched wilderness and pristine undeveloped lake chains. Hank says, “When you hit the end of cottage country, that is where our trail begins.”
Dog sledding also gives you a glimpse into a time gone by – when life was slower and people were as one with the natural world around them. Make sure you dress warmly, as the temperatures can get frigid. All sleds are a five-foot wooden basket style with cushions on the bottom and back, making for a very comfortable ride.
Tanya and Hank are also accomplished writers and keynote speakers. Their 2 published books – ‘Iditarod Dreamer’ and ‘Journey of 1000 Miles’ are both available on Amazon and they attend many corporate functions as speakers focussing on building the bridge between the corporate world and their 1000-mile arctic dogsled race one. Their mission is to inspire teams to overcome challenges and reach their goals through improved teamwork, leadership, and vision.
Tanya connects the corporate & dogsledding worlds and shares lessons, demonstrations and examples, while Hank holds audiences spell bound with his stories of what it takes to race a team of huskies 1000 miles through the Alaskan & Yukon wilderness. Together Tanya and Hank provide lessons and insights into how leaders inspire & teams work together to thrive are as vast and unique as the landscapes they have dogsledded through – and the same principles that apply to their huskies also apply to your team.
www.winterdance.com
info@winterdance.com
705-547-5281
