If you’ve been searching for an exciting winter sport, it’s time to try mushing. The Appalachian Mountain Club has a series of mushing courses [1] in which you’ll learn everything from the history of dog sledding to the skills of navigating the trails.

One of these programs, Mushing School, run with Mountain Ridge Kennels [2], is a three-day adventure from February 13 to 15 at Little Lyford Pond Camps [3] in Greenville, Maine. On Day 1 you’ll learn mushing terminology and basic sled and dog handling. Day 2 brings lessons on caring for the Alaskan Huskies followed by a supervised 4-mile run. Then on Day 3, you’ll take a team of dogs on a 4-5 mile loop trail.

There’s also a Camp-to-Camp Mushing Tour (March 11 to 13) that provides the exhilarating experience of being pulled by professional racing dogs through the Maine Wilderness. Or you can set yourself up at an AMC-recommended lodge and take day-long classes in mushing and in a lesser-known activity, skijoring. In the latter sport, you’ll put on skis and strap into a single “canine athlete” who will take you on a four-mile assisted run (recommended only for experienced skiers). For other options, check out Mushing.com [4], “your guide to dog-powered sports.” They have a calendar [5] of related events, plus listings of tours [6] throughout the U.S. and Canada. No matter which course you choose, you just may fall in love with the sounds of dogs methodically breathing as they happily take you on a (very fast) walk through snow.