On a wintry January morning in New Hampshire, we left our warm hotel room in Woodstock to drive 20 minutes to Jefferson for an adventure.

Being dressed for a 17-degree outdoor activity meant several layers ending with a warm and water-resistant coat, boots tied tight with wool socks, gloves and a beanie, a scarf to protect our faces from the wind and sunglasses.

What were we off to experience? A dog sled ride, of course.

Honestly, Marty and I never thought we would get to have this adventure only seven hours from Palmerton. This would be a first for us, and excitement doesn’t even come close to how we felt.

Being dog lovers, we couldn’t wait to meet them, pet them, give them treats and, of course, the ride itself.

Upon arrival at the Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel, you are instructed to park in the “Barking Lot” and wait in your car until a staff member will come get you for your turn.

The two of us had smiles as big as could be seeing Heather was walking over to us. Practically jumping out of our car, we grabbed what we needed and followed. You have to make reservations online, and in the confirmation email you are given directions about what to do and how to dress.

There were 79 dogs waiting for their chance to run. Barking filled the crisp morning air then turned into howling as we came into sight. Three sleds would be going out on this 8 a.m. run, and we were one of them.

After filling out the necessary paperwork, we were introduced to the dogs, told a bit about them and given instructions. Some of the dogs are already up for adoption, and others will join that status in spring. Keep that in mind if you are looking to add a family member.

I believe dogs pick you, and Oopsie Daisy picked me as I was looking to pet some of them. When I walked over to her spot, she immediately jumped up and gave me a hug by putting her paws on my shoulders followed by many kisses. Luckily for me, she was going to be part of our team.

Kait, our musher, introduced us to our seven-dog team, got us snuggled in our sled, and then as she was standing in her spot on the sled behind us, she started our 5-mile journey using a simple command.

The light snowfall made the trip more magical as the dogs started to run. Each had their own style of running, but they worked as a team to pull us over the snow-covered ground through fields and wooded trails.

From time to time, Kait would ask us to lean to help guide the sled. We were going at a nice pace so we still could take it all in and be able to ask her questions.

Kait had graduated from college, and while looking for a job in her field had decided to be a musher. When she was younger, she had the experience of riding. Being an active, outdoor person, she thought that it might be a nice fit.

On a typical dog sledding day, each musher can have up to five trips. The dogs will run between one to three of them, depending on the dog.

As we were pulling away, the other dogs still in their kennels were barking back and forth with the dogs pulling us, almost like they were cheering them on. On the way back, as we rounded the last corner before the hill to head back to where we started, you could hear them start barking and howling to welcome them back.

This was truly a great experience, and we are so glad we chose to add it before we headed home from our weekend adventure. The New Hampshire mountains are beautiful in every season, and we don’t find it too long of a drive for a long weekend.

If you would you love this experience, but maybe winter isn’t your favorite, don’t worry: Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel does them all year long. In the months without snow, the sleds have wheels.

To find out more, check out the kennel’s website, www.dogslednh.com.

Lynn Shupp is a professional photographer in Palmerton, president of the Palmerton Historical Society and a regular contributor to the Times News. She enjoys sharing her adventures.