The unit had plenty of skis but few in the division could ski.

It also meant, if the worst came to the worst, I could actually jump in and swim across and drag the sledge over after me.

The story is set in the Yukon during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush a period in which strong sled dogs were in high demand.

Young people in northern Canada, kids in an elementary school, dragging sleds across the school yard, pretending they were Richard, Ray and Kevin. Amazing.

Members of these small units usually consisted of former professional military men who were equipped with rifles, machine guns, ammunition, medicine, uniforms, and had the option of buying additional materials such as skis, sweaters and marching boots.

I essentially drag sledges for a living, so it doesn't take an awful lot to flummox me intellectually, but I'm going to read this question from an interview earlier this year Philosophically, does the constant supply of information steal our ability to imagine or replace our dreams of achieving?