I hear them first. The mournful sound seems to hang in the air like icicles suspended from a tree branch. Could it be wolves? I question the thought, even though we are skiing on the fringe of the Mission Mountain Wilderness. The chorus of yips and howls punctuates the silence of a landscape slumbering under a snow coverlet. I scan a nearby ridgeline in search of a clue. And then I see them. A team of snowy-white dogs surges forward, joyfully returning to its job pulling a sled that cradles a passenger while the musher stands on the back. Ahead of them is a skier, who matches the explosive energy of the dogs as he skate-skis ahead to lead the pack. The sight is breathtaking as the dogs shine in the light of a high noon sun, silhouetted against deep-blue skies. They disappear as they drop over the other side of the ridge and I feel sad that this magical show has ended.
I later discover that I had captured a glimpse of a hands-on sled dog adventure offered by Base Camp Bigfork, owned and operated by Mark and Sam Schurke. Mark was the nimble, Ninja-like skier who led the pack.
Mark grew up a suburban kid always looking for adventure on the outskirts of his neighborhood. He was an avid skateboarder and sometimes employed the family Lab to pull him — a harbinger of what was to come. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Parks Recreation and Tourism from Michigan State University followed by an internship with his uncle, Paul, at his world-renowned dogsledding business, Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge, in northern Minnesota. Mark spent several winters guiding multi-day dogsled adventures and winter camping trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Off-season, he served as kennel manager caring for over 70 Inuit Sled Dogs, which was the largest kennel of this rare and primitive breed in the world. He fell deeply in love with the dogs and lifestyle and decided that he somehow wanted not to only play in the wild, but to also work there.
During his time in Minnesota he met Samantha, or “Sam,” a Minnesota native. “We met in true Minnesota fashion,” he said, “at a potluck.” The summer romance endured and a long-distance relationship blossomed when Sam returned to college in Tucson, Arizona to study art and design.
“It didn’t take long for us to realize that we wanted to keep adventuring through life together,” Mark said.
That adventure included a dream to start a family business where they could share their love for the outdoors with others. They traveled throughout the West in search of the perfect place to plant the germs of their dream and a future family, settling on Bigfork in 2007.
“The environmental integrity of the area and the vast amounts of public lands are what originally attracted us to Bigfork,” Mark said. “While we certainly enjoy and benefit from all the amenities that the Flathead Valley has to offer it was the lack of development and unspoiled nature of the Swan Valley that really drew us in.”
As with most things serendipitous, timing was everything.
“When we moved here, 20 years ago, it was more attainable for a young couple, with not much more than a big dream, to work hard, start a family and build a business from the ground up,” Mark said.
Their first iteration of basecamp was also located in Ferndale, just a couple miles from where they reside today. While building their nest egg, they worked at a variety of jobs. Sam worked in commercial interior design and Mark worked in construction, as an outdoor guide and in hospitality, which suited his versatility and energetic, affable personality.
At the end of 2008 they picked up their first Inuit dogs from a retired musher in Canada and purchased gear to start working their new team of sled dogs. As the snow piled up and they entered a new year, they established Base Camp Bigfork featuring hands-on sled-dog adventures. “We hit the ground running,” Mark said. The beginning of 2009 marked a year of exciting new beginnings with the launch of the dogsled business paired with the birth of their son, Otto, in March. Their business and their new family were well on their way.
Their business grew by word of mouth and they were able to expand in 2011 to include a shop in Bigfork offering kayak, paddle board and mountain bike rentals in the summer. Their family also expanded that year with the birth of their second son, Dietrich.
A few years later they added guest lodging and a portable wood-fired sauna to their Ferndale property where they also reside. Ski and snowshoe rentals are available at their dogsled home base in Ferndale during the winter. They also offer guided tours during the shoulder season.
The 8-acre Base Camp property borders public land, offering an expanded backyard for adventures. Many of the dogsled adventures launch from Base Camp when snow conditions allow. When there isn’t enough snow, they head down to the Swan Valley snowbelt with special use permits issued by the Flathead National Forest to use public lands for their dogsled adventures. Their commercial access to public waterways requires permits from MFWP and local state parks.
Their mission is to provide outdoor experiences that are non-motorized recreation and have a low impact on the environment.
Mark explained that when they deliver boats in a public space, “Our presence should be minimal. I don’t drive a flashy logo truck.” Sam adds, “We get them on the water and get out of the way.”
The business can be demanding — Mark compares it to being a farmer with its reliance on weather and the economy. Weather variables such as temperatures and snowpack can affect the overall dogsled experience. Cold, icy conditions can increase speed, which can make for a fast day on the dogsled trail and fresh snow can create a slightly slower and quieter winter powder day. This year’s lack of snow forced Mark to cancel a handful of trips until wintry weather returned. Wind and wildfire during the summer season can discourage paddlers from wanting to be out on the water.
They have also weathered a variety of fluctuations caused by a recession, Covid and the reduced presence of our Canadian neighbors.
They minimized their vulnerability to these elements by putting themselves in a position where they could adjust to the economy and stay flexible. They started by building a savings before plunging into the wobbly world of small businesses. It also included avoiding debt. “We built as we could afford it,” Sam said.
They also deal with the unknowns and risks that are inherent to outdoor adventures. They emphasize safety and provide instruction and information before excursions. Customers come from a wide variety of places and backgrounds and are often on vacation with a devil-may-care attitude. They offer water safety and basic watercraft instructions and try to read the group before directing them to areas where they will be most successful on a self-guided adventure.
Risks in a dogsled outing are more easily mitigated because they are a guided adventure. No experience is required to mush your own dogsled, but Base Camp requires participants to be physically active in order to enjoy the outing. Sleds accommodate a musher and a passenger, normally pulled by a team of six dogs. Participants are invited to harness and care for the team and are given basic instructions, which include how to operate the sled and give commands to the dogs. These commands are the same as those used by mule drivers. “Hup,” to go harder, “Whoa” to stop, “Gee” to go right and “Haw” to go left.
The unique adventure can be described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience with the beauty of the surroundings and the excitement of mushing or riding in your own sled pulled by a beautiful and rare breed of dogs — there are only an estimated 500 Inuit dogs in the world today. Perhaps one of their biggest compliments came from Jack Hanna, famed zookeeper, wildlife conservationist, educator, television celebrity, and world traveler. After a dogsled adventure shared with his family several years ago, he told Mark, “I have done a lot of amazing things in my life, but this is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done.”
“It’s a really cool thing that has always been a part of Otto and Dietrich’s lives,” Mark said of his two sons. “They were introduced to dogsledding at a young age and over the years have assisted with kennel improvement, running and training the dogs, and socializing puppies.”
When they were younger, the boys were always supervised in the dog kennel. Mark said he doesn’t see the Inuit dog as a pet because they are a working dog with strong pack instincts; loving and lovable animals that need to be monitored because of their size, excitability and strength. Mark oversees the daily care of the dogs so as to ensure being attuned to each of his dogs’ overall well-being.
Both Mark and Sam said the boys’ participation in the family business has been character-building.
“They have learned life skills,” Sam said, explaining that the boys help with daily tasks such as housekeeping at the guest lodge and cleaning up after the dogs. During the summer, the boys are integral to the business, helping with the hospitality end of the operation as well as with the rental shop in Bigfork.
The boys showed an entrepreneurial spirit when they hung out their shingle as the DO Brothers (an abbreviation for Dietrich and Otto), peddling their goods at lemonade stands and selling eggs gathered from chickens they raised.
The couple said one of their biggest challenges at Base Camp has been keeping things small when the demand for their services surges. They wanted to stay small enough that they could handle most of the business themselves. “We got better at saying no,” Mark said.
Through it all, the couple has held family at the center of their lives. They make an effort to separate work from play with lots of family outings. They aren’t normally able to break away from Base Camp for extended summer or spring break vacations, so they make a point of getting some R&R during the shoulder season with a variety of outings that include the same recreation they provide at Base Camp — dogsledding, cross-country skiing, kayaking and paddleboarding. They also love seeking out good swimming holes as a family and the boys share a love for skiing, snowboarding and skateboarding with their dad.
“Aside from exploring the natural wonders of Montana we also spend much of our shoulder seasons at our local skateparks or traveling around the state to enjoy the many world class skateboard parks, which are more abundant than one might think,” Mark said.
“I make the sandwiches and watch,” Sam said with a laugh and a smile.
Recognizing the quality of life that Base Camp Bigfork has afforded his childhood, Otto said he enjoys their outdoor family outings, and has also pursued his own activities, joining the high school cave club and cross-country running team.
“I have a natural spirit of wanting to be outside,” Otto said.
For his part, Dietrich enjoys basketball and football in addition to all the family adventures.
Although the family is naturally drawn to wild places, they are also drawn to participating as community members in the little town of Bigfork and the extended Flathead Valley community, where Sam and Mark have served on numerous nonprofit boards.
The volunteerism and community engagement has not gone unnoticed by Otto.
“My parents are a big inspiration to me,” he said. “It is beautiful to see people do so much without financial reward.” A junior in high school, Otto has already joined in as a volunteer on the fire department with his dad and as an officer and member of a student wellness support group at Bigfork High School.
“A family business has shown them the kind of work ethic required to operate a family business and the sacrifices as well as the rewards that it involves,” Mark said. “It has shown them the creative opportunities that an entrepreneurial spirit can provide, when you think outside of the box, but also how to stay rooted in reality to make it work. It has shown them how quality customer service is not only good for business, but also that being kind and helpful by serving others is a good way to walk through life.”
“The whole goal was to live a simple life,” Sam added.
During these complicated times, this goal does not seem to be a simple task. But when you drive down the dirt road that dives into the trees to reach a tidy compound, you can feel a sense of peace at this modern homestead that comes with simple pleasures. Across a grassy meadow the alpenglow creeps across the majestic Swan Mountains. Their expansive property is hugged by thousands of acres of forested public land, offering an extension to their backyard and playground. There is a climbing wall that Mark built, along with a pottery studio for Sam. All is quiet at the dog yard where their 15 Inuit dogs snooze comfortably after a hard day’s work. It looks like a storybook setting.
I knocked on the door of their home and was greeted by Mark and Sam, who held a cup of steaming tea in a beautiful ceramic mug she created. The home reflects Sam’s talent at design — elegant, yet welcoming. They led me to a comfortable chair next to the woodstove and one of their three rescue kittens. “We aren’t even cat people,” Sam said with a laugh.
But that is another story for another time.
The boys arrived a little later, quietly entering the living area, but charged with teenaged energy that still emanates as they sink into the sofa across from us. They greet me with broad smiles, a Schurke family trademark. Smiles that are as true and uplifting and potent as mid-summer sun, that let you know that simple, when done right — can feel simply perfect.