Musher's Camp & Sled Dog Experience??

[Dachshund Dad]

Anyone done this Skagway excursion?

We're dog lovers, so we thought this might be fun!

However, it seems the sled ride is on wheels, as there is no snow in Sept.

Is this lame, or fun?

 

Thanks in advance for any and all input!

[Nliedel]

I've not been to Alaska, so feel free to flush this answer. I do, however, have a Siberian Husky and I've worked with trainers in the summer months. DO IT! It feels just like flying and the dogs are amazing athletes (You will get a mix of dogs, not just huskies). You will fall in love with sled dogs. I run my husky every day and people stop me (she runs on the end of a leash tethered to my waist), but that's NOTHING compared to the experience of a dog team. I always want to poke my nose in these dog sled threads and say this. As a fan of sled dogs mud or wheels don't matter. To be on that sled is an unforgettable memory.

[pamkev]

We did this two years ago, and loved it! We still talk about it to this day. They are powerful dogs and fast!

 

Pam

[cruisin'mama]

I have not done this, but our tablemates did it June 26 and thought it was a little "hokey". They thought the dogs were cute, but without snow it was a bit lame. Granted they had their dogsledding on snow the day before cancelled because of late arrival in Juneau due to a helicopter evacuation on our ship. So maybe they had their hopes up for snow so this didn't live up to their expectations.

[critterchick]

We did it in 2004 and had a very nice time on the run. The dogs were all mixed breeds - the trainer said that purebred Huskies and Malamutes are too lazy to do the job (Nancy, don't let your pup see this!). I guess they all have Hollywood agents now.:rolleyes:

 

The ride is basically a fast run on a dirt track. It was drizzling when we went, so it was muddy, but nothing awful. The usual alpha dog had been misbehaving, so he was relegated to the rear of the pack. He did the entire run glaring over his shoulder at the trainer! Oooooh, he was mad! It's not a spectacular experience the way I imagine the real thing on a glacier would be, but it gives you a good idea of what it's all about. The ride to & from the camp was nice, too - we saw lots of bald eagles (really not all that unusual in Alaska) and some migratory birds on the lake.

 

The camp was a little depressing to me - my dogs have the run of my house and sleep on my bed, sofa, loveseat, once in a blue moon their own beds. The dogs at camp are all chained to keep them from fighting with each other, I suppose, and that distressed me. I don't really know that it bothered them all that much, but I thought it was sad.

[norbert]

Hi,

look at my pictures in the album Skagway 2005.

We made it and were impressed by the dogs. First you will talk to a musher and get information and answers to all your questions. Then you will go for a short ride on wheels. The camp is really a little depressing. A lot of mud and it smells not very good. Back to the ship, you have to clean your shoes, they will smell a lot. It was a funny trip but we would not do it again. We will try next time a ride in the snow.

Have fun.