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Gérard Falticska steers his sled at Kinadapt in Rawdon, Que.Stephanie Foden

It’s January and it’s getting cold but I am determined not to be one of those people who grumble about the weather and stays inside all winter long. I need to move.

That’s the spirit! As they say, there’s no such thing as “too cold,” only not enough layers.

The thing is, I don’t ski or snowboard. Any alternatives?

Let me ask you something: Do you like cute dogs? Of course you do. So here’s some good news: You don’t need to go all the way to the Yukon to try dogsledding. Just go to Kinadapt, an hour north of Montreal near the town of Rawdon. Kinadapt offers rides through 2.7 square kilometres of trails that can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an overnight adventure with a dog team to sleep in a cabin under the stars. Prices start at $99 and go up to $499 a person for a two-day overnight excursion. For the brave, you can take a nighttime ride for $210 – the dogs’ favourite time to run – and you’ll get remarkable visibility under the moonlight.

Lose the cookie-cutter ski resort and head to Saint-Sauveur, Que.

Sure, dogs are cute. But my New Year’s exercise resolution is already sputtering. Can I get fit dog sledding?

As a matter of fact, you can! Kinadapt was started 12 years ago by a kinesiologist and a physiotherapist who are big proponents of dogsledding as a form of exercise. When you’re on the sled, you’re shifting your weight from side to side and tightening your core to hold on, so it’s definitely a workout. Want an even better one? Let the sled go and chase the dogs down. Just joking, don’t do that, as the dogs can run way faster than you. In all seriousness, though, for a great workout, you can try a sport called canicross where you strap yourself to a dog and run to keep up.

What if I want to bring the kids?

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A dog sits on top of his hut at Kinadapt in Rawdon, Que.Stephanie Foden

Bundle them up like a human burrito and plop them on the sled in front of you. Kids as young as 2 can go for $46, but the rides are limited to 30 minutes for children. Afterward, the kids can play with the dogs roaming the grounds and then warm up in the sugar shack with a hot chocolate made on the vintage wood-fired stove.

I have to ask: Is dogsledding humane? I mean, how do we know the dogs are happy doing it?

That’s a fair question. The truth is, we can’t ask the dogs how they feel about it, so we don’t know for sure. Kinadapt’s guides say the dogs love to run and get upset whenever they’re left off a team – they’re competitive animals who want to please humans and dogs have hauled sleds for 400 years. That said, critics argue that putting animals to work in any form is inhumane, and some horrific sledding operations slaughter dogs after they’re too old to run. The documentary Sled Dogs goes into detail about many of these issues.

Yikes! Is Kinadapt better?

Kinadapt’s owner Peter Boutin says that whenever one of their 86 dogs becomes reluctant to run, it is retired on the spot and can spend the rest of its days greeting visitors and lounging around the cabin. So definitely no slaughtering here. Boutin also limits how often each dog runs, and doesn’t let them work full days until they’re over 2.5 years old. Some of their dogs don’t run at all, including one named Miss, whom they rescued after she was abandoned beside a highway. Another dog, Tchaike (named after the Russian composer Tchaikovsky), was sent there by his owner so the three-year-old pup could expend its never-ending energy. The owner pays Tchaike’s food for the year and in return gets membership benefits such as a sledding discount, dog yoga (it’s a thing) or talks from pro sledders.

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Writer Joel Balsam puts a harness on Tchaike, a dog in his team, at Kinadapt in Rawdon, Que.Stephanie Foden

Okay, I’m sold on this dog sledding thing, but now I’m worried it’s going to be too exhausting. Any way to relax up there?

Drive 10 minutes from Kinadapt and you’ll find La Source (lasourcespa.com), a Nordic spa with outdoor hot tubs, thermal and freezing cold waterfalls, dry saunas, steam baths as well as various types of massages and treatments. Lounging relaxation options are plentiful, too, so it’s a wise idea to stay at least a few hours. The good news is the spa is open until 9 p.m. Thursday to Sunday and 8 p.m. Monday to Wednesday. The Nordic baths cost $49 for the day or if you get a massage – which starts at $126 for an hour – the baths are free. Come on your birthday and you’ll get half-off the baths or $20-off a massage.

What about restaurants?

What’s a trip to the Quebec countryside without a gooey, stomach-soothing poutine or a French onion soup? Resto-Bar La Lanterne in Rawdon is a good option (do yourself a favour and order the large poutine). Crêperie Les Copains d’Abord serves up tasty crêpes beside a cozy fireplace to warm you up. If you go to La Source, they have an in-house bistro, which offers light meals like dips, sandwiches and charcuterie.

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French onion soup at Resto-Bar La Lanterne in Rawdon, Que.Stephanie Foden

That’s a busy day, I definitely won’t make it back to Montreal at a reasonable time. Where do I spend the night?

You said you wanted to move, eh? Chalets Lanaudière (chaletslanaudiere.ca), 15 minutes north of Rawdon, has cottages, cabins and cozy yurts equipped with a little kitchen and a fireplace. Prices start at $140 a night, but this accommodation is far from just a place to crash. The grounds are huge and you can rent snowshoes and cross-country skis to explore its wide network of trails (I know you don’t ski, but just putting it out there). You can also rent ice skates and grab a stick to play some shinny on the ODR (outdoor rink) or go snow tubing for a thrilling – near-deadly-if-it’s-icy – race down a hill. Chalets Lanaudière will also convince the do-gooders out there, as it says it spends 100 per cent of its profits on sending disadvantaged children to summer camps around the world.

The writer’s trip was subsidized by Tourisme Québec. It did not review or approve this article.

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