Puppy Power

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Humans aren’t the only ones who go stir-crazy if they stay inside during a Maine winter. People will do whatever they can to exhaust their four-legged friends, and one of the coolest ways has got to be skijoring, where up to two dogs will pull a person on cross-country skis. Skijoring events are held at several of Maine’s winter festivals, but one of the most-heavily attended races is the Farmington Frolic, on Route 2 just east of downtown Farmington. The eighth running of the races, which also includes dogsledding trials with teams of up to eighteen dogs, is planned for the weekend of February 5-6 (weather permitting). Up to three thousand spectators come to watch the dogsleds and more than a dozen skijorers compete for $2,000 in prize money on the groomed trails of the Sandy River Farms, a 600-acre dairy and crop farm (which also happens to be home to an impressive corn maze in the fall). “The event in Farmington is a good race for beginners, because it’s a pretty flat track,” says George Miller, president of Down East Sled Dog Club and a musher himself. “Plus, it’s easy to find; if you follow Route 2, you can’t miss it.” Call 207-645-2864 for more information.