Question, is there some sort of trail etiquette with regards to sled dog teams? I’m planning a trip and I’d like to utilize 4 mile portage to get up to Basswood, I know this is a regularly used dogsled route. In all my winter travels I’ve never come across a dog team so I want to make sure I’m doing it correctly. Is it just get the hell outta the way and let the team pass? I know it’s not I-35 but is 4 mile portage that heavily traveled that I even need to worry about it? Thanks in advance my friends…..

I would say if they are behind you, they have the right of way. If they are ahead of you, then you have the right of way ;)

(Edit: the above joke is assuming both parties travelling in the same direction. I should know better than to try to make a joke...)

Seems like a pretty low probability occurrence, but it could totally happen too, you never know.

I think just being prepared to get out of the way is the way to approach it.

I like to break my own trail even though it's harder and slower. Pure fluffy snow under foot is one of the things I go up there for. I will often make use of a pre-broken trail though if it's going my way.

Get out of the way. You and your gear. They will appreciate it.

I used to train and race sled dogs and would say it’s best to step off the trail, or to the side of the trail and enjoy watching the teams pass by. The dogs love to run and really don’t like stopping. If you’re standing alongside the trail, they’ll likely go right past you without bothering you. I always trained my teams with an “on by” command so they would go past distractions on or near the trail.

Agree with the above - the smart move is to get out of the way. Only thing I'll add is if you are on skis or snow shoes you won't be damaging the trail, but if you happened to try to walk it in boots and post-hole you are creating a potential hazard for he dogs. The lead dogs may see it, but the rest of the team will likely not and could injure a leg or shoulder. If you do accidentally create a post-hole (often referred to as moose holes), take a minute to try to fill it up and pack it down.