State College, PA: Tow Hill Training Session

Fog shrouds the trails at Tow Hill

Eric and I along with the whole Maryland Sled Dog Adventures LLC gang trekked to the Pirmann residence outside of State College, Pennsylvania this past weekend for some dryland dog sledding and musher socialization. This is the fourth year we've attended the Tow Hill Training Session and the twenty third year the event has been held!

Acadia hangs out on the line

Sobo primarily ran wheel with one dog scooter run in lead

From Friday to Sunday it was non stop sled dogs and training as we ran the looping trails at Tow Hill practicing passing (over taking and head on) other teams, gee over, and our gees and haws.

Like the sign says: This is a haw (left) turn

Looking down the trail

The trails include many opportunities for gee/haw training

There were both motorized (ATV) and non-motorized teams

Running dogs on a three wheel rig

Bikejoring with one dog

Despite warmer than average temperatures we managed to get two runs in on Saturday, one in the early morning hours and one in the late afternoon and one early morning run in on Sunday.

Waiting to be harnessed

Relaxing after a run

The Powers Pack followed by the Maryland Sled Dog Adventures dogs

Eric training the Maryland Sled Dog Adventures team

Unfortunately, we did not get many photos of the Maryland Sled Dog Adventures dogs running the Tow Hill trails although we did get many photos of other teams!

Visiting Siberian from Virginia

Sadie: Another Virginia Siberian

Coming up a hill

A different kind of working dog

What's up next for the Maryland Sled Dog Adventures' sled dogs? This week the sled dogs will be doing a Run What You Brung on Tuesday, possibly a training run on Thursday at Fair Hill, a Tour on Saturday, and a Girl Scout Patch Program in Dog Sledding on Sunday. After that, the sled dogs will be heading up north to Maine to celebrate Thanksgiving and do some training with the Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club.

Interested in visiting the sled dogs in Maine? Check out our women's only Maine Winter Cabin Adventure, four exciting days (and nights) of dog sledding in the beautiful north woods of Maine.