Whether you’re gliding through a winter wonderland behind an eager team of well-trained dogs or waiting in the freezing temperatures for all the sleds to be ready to go, dog sledding is definitely an experience to have.

We were fortunate enough to travel to Canada to meet up with the Bitton family to go dog sledding. Al, Ariana, and Téa live in Toronto. Even though they had never been dog sledding, they were excited to meet up with us and give it a try. Téa is 13 years old and lives with her parents and 2 older sisters in Toronto. Meeting the Bitton family was like seeing old friends. The warmth and the congeniality upon first meeting made a great start to our winter adventure. When we asked them why they had never done it before, Al told us the biggest reason was fear. Fear of the unknown. I completely understand the fear. Even though it seemed like this adventure would be pretty easy to adapt, we truly had no idea what to expect, except that it would be extremely cold. (Seriously, dog sledding is all fun and games until you realize how cold it really can get.)

For our girls, Magnolia ("Maggie") and Téa, regulating body temperature is an issue. Dressing warm in freezing temperatures was daunting. Since Téa lives in Canada, Ariana knew exactly what she needed to wear. To make sure I knew exactly how Maggie was feeling, I dressed her and me in the exact same outfits, from the long wool underwear to the furry trapper hat. We were twinning in every aspect. If I was cold, she was cold, so it gave me peace of mind that I could know exactly how she was feeling.

There were a couple of items that I would suggest everybody use: hand warmers, foot warmers, and hunting muffs. I purchased 2 hunter muffs to protect Magnolia and Téa’s hands. I wanted to make sure their hands were secure and warm. The muffs not only kept their hands warm but also kept their hands secure in front of their bodies—not sliding to their sides while sledding. Honestly, I loved the muffs so much, I will use them for Magnolia whenever she does any winter activities.

While the dog sleds were being prepared, there was a lot of downtime. Since the temperatures were frigid, there was a warming shed for us to hang out in and stay warm. Honestly, this was a godsend. The problem was, it wasn’t quite accessible for wheelchairs, though snow rarely is. Téa uses a wheelchair, so when it came time for us to escape to the warming shed, the anxiety that this adventure might not be as accessible as I thought started to creep in. For Téa to be comfortable in the shed, Al and Ariana had to lift Téa and her wheelchair into the shed. This wasn’t a problem, but it was inconvenient.

While preparing for this trip, adapting for dog sledding seemed fairly simple. Discussing the abilities of our individuals with Rett syndrome with the dog sledding company was pretty straightforward. The sleds were built for 2 people to sit and enjoy the ride while 1 person stands to guide the sled. It seemed so easy—we show up, sit in the sled, and enjoy. And, honestly, that’s basically what happened.

Maggie had expressed some apprehension about the whole thing. Our brave, adventurous girl, apparently was a bit fearful too—the unknown, the dogs, etc. When we went though, it was so peaceful gliding through the snow. The dogs were quiet, and running, and having a great time. When we got out, Maggie told us on her Tobii, "Best. Best. Dogs.”
I agreed and told her, "It was the best. And those were the best dogs." But I won't tell our dog at home, Taylor, that I said that. And lucky for me, Taylor can't read!