Sled Dog Excursions

[radmoo]

Hubby and I are booked on July 29 sailing of Star Princess. We are interested in a tour to see sled dogs, ship offers one but does anyone have info on private operators? Any other fellow passengers who might care to join us?

[laughing husky]

Coastal Helicopters offers a glacier sled dog experience out of Juneau. They do not go through the cruise ship lines....and they are extremely reputable with high time pilots. The operator of the glacier tour is Sebastian Schnuelle....winner of the 2009 Yukon Quest. All of the guides are extremely knowledgeable and most are either Iditarod finishers or Yukon Quest finishers/winners....check them out on trip advisor...All of the glacier operations are good, and there are several available...I happen to like this one as this is where I chose my dogs to spend their summer vacation....I know they are happy and they deserve only the best....:) and if you should go there, give Miss Clover a hug and a kiss....

[laughing husky]

I should also mention that there are land base tours also....however, you ride in a cart with several people. It is much less expensive but you do not get to be on a dogsled...on a glacier....in the snow....where it can be 70 degrees. It is a bucket list experience if you have never done it before....and although I do it often, it is still a bucket list experience. There are also tours...with and without a cart ride in Seward, Willow, and near Denali National Park...If you are up in Denali, do not miss Husky Homestead...home of Jeff King, 4 time winner of Iditarod...

[account4fun]

We booked with Temsco in Skagway and would recommed them! Technically Temso just provides the transportation and Alaska Icefield Expeditions runs the dog sled operation but we booked through Temsco. Very efficient operation and we had a great time.

[firstalaskatrip]

Have any of you done the Wilderness Living Adventure and Dog Cart Ride near Denali? Traveling with a friend who would really like to see sled dogs and thought this might be fun. Tried searching for reviews of this activity, but really couldn't find many. We have limited time in Denali so just want to make the best use of it (we are planning to take a shuttle bus into the park thanks to advice on here), but are trying to figure out if we should add this in the evening. Also - we are going on the riverboat ride in Fairbanks which I know does show you some sled dogs. Do you get to pat the sled dogs on the fairbanks riverboat trip?

[Linda the Book Lover]

Hubby and I are booked on July 29 sailing of Star Princess. We are interested in a tour to see sled dogs, ship offers one but does anyone have info on private operators? Any other fellow passengers who might care to join us?

 

I am sure you have but we have always had better luck with cruise roll call for takers :) We are planning when we finally get to go in a year to enjoy the dogs along with the Chilkoot train, bus, museum, Canada choice.

[laughing husky]

If you are going towards Denali, you should take a tour at Husky Homestead...It is owned by Jeff King a 4 time winner of Iditarod....as well as the Yukon Quest....His vans will pick you up at any of the Princess lodges. Although he does not do rides in the summer....you have a 2 1/2 hr talk about mushing, demonstrations and time to pet all of the pups....He gives a wonderful tour and it is one of the cheapest tours in AK. $59.00 pp...kids I believe are half priced....Look up Husky Homestead....Jeff has lived there for years and has brought up his family there as well. He has 3 daughters, one of them who helps with the tours. It is a truly wonderful and different lifestyle and a great tour....

[account4fun]

If you are going towards Denali, you should take a tour at Husky Homestead...It is owned by Jeff King a 4 time winner of Iditarod....as well as the Yukon Quest....His vans will pick you up at any of the Princess lodges. Although he does not do rides in the summer....you have a 2 1/2 hr talk about mushing, demonstrations and time to pet all of the pups....He gives a wonderful tour and it is one of the cheapest tours in AK. $59.00 pp...kids I believe are half priced....Look up Husky Homestead....Jeff has lived there for years and has brought up his family there as well. He has 3 daughters, one of them who helps with the tours. It is a truly wonderful and different lifestyle and a great tour....

 

I 2nd this as the tour was fantastic. They put on a great "presentation" and you get to spend a lot of time with the puppies!

[firstalaskatrip]

I'm also starting to worry whether things will be too rushed if we do a sled dog tour in denali. We might also be able to fit it in in Skagway. Has anyone done the Musher's Camp and Sled dog experience in Skagway? Did you enjoy it? Any thoughts on whether it's better to do this in Denali vs Skagway? Though, I think doing a dog sled on a glacier would be great, it looks like most are over $300 a person, so I think we are pretty much looking at the land outings only.

[laughing husky]

1st choice would be Husky Homestead near Denali....If you want a cart ride, there is also Dream a Dream Dog Farm in Willow AK....about 60 miles up the road. They also have a B&B there if you are driving....It is run by Vern Halter. Both he an his wife, who is a veterinarian, have run Iditarod numerous times and Vern has won the Yukon Quest. His rides are very good...(in carts) and he has a website that you can google...

[cntrymum]

What about Seavey's in Seward? They do a glacier dog-sled trip too and there is another one you can do from Girdwood near Anchorage. We've booked a glacier dog sled trip during our land trip - it goes from Knik River. Glaciers & sled dogs are high on my list of "must do's" while in AK :)

[laughing husky]

Rick Cassilo is in charge of the Knik glacier tour. This is his first year there so I can't tell you how it is....but Rick is a competent musher and a good guy....They Seavey's run very competent sled dog operations both in Seward on the glacier and their land based cart ride in Seward....I did not mention them because the OP said he was going on the inside passage and i understood that he was going then to Denali....Seward is a good 3 hours south of Anchorage...2 hrs south of Whittier and a great little town to visit....Lots to do there...but it is a long day trip if you are going to take a tour plus drive there and back...and in the summer the traffic can be hellacious...At times, it has taken me 7 hrs to drive back...If you have ever gone to Cape Cod on the weekend in the summer...it can be similar....

[laughing husky]

If you have booked the Knik glacier, tell Rick that Bonnie said "hi".....He worked for several years for the Coastal/Blue Kennels dog sled operation on the Herbert Glacier in Juneau...

[cntrymum]

Hey LH - we're staying at Knik River Lodge for a couple of days and have tentatively booked - waiting to see what the weather dishes up ;) but are assured by the KRL that it won't be a problem to finalise on the day. If the weather is against us, we will do the Knik Glacier jet boat trip. Between Seward, Girdwood, KR, Willow & Talkeetna we're hoping to get a glacier sled dog experience - if not - we still have the Juneau option........

[laughing husky]

cntrymum.....good planning you will get there....Now you should come up and do one in the winter...It is the best season.....:)

[missouri01]

Hey LH - we're staying at Knik River Lodge for a couple of days and have tentatively booked - waiting to see what the weather dishes up ;) but are assured by the KRL that it won't be a problem to finalise on the day. If the weather is against us, we will do the Knik Glacier jet boat trip. Between Seward, Girdwood, KR, Willow & Talkeetna we're hoping to get a glacier sled dog experience - if not - we still have the Juneau option........

 

Please share you experiences upon your return....it sounds like we will be experiencing a similar itinerary in August.

 

Thank you!