Dog Sledding

A great day with Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska!

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This post is not sponsored in any way. My opinions are my own and freely given.

This building is where they have lunch prepared for those that are completing a full day adventure. The chili was delicious! I recommend scooping yourself a bowl and eating it out by the fire. 

When you think about Alaska in the winter time, the Iditarod is one of the first things that comes to mind. For me, dog sledding has been synonymous with Alaska ever since I saw the historically incorrect Disney movie, Balto. (For those of you who know the historically accurate story, Togo was the real hero. More on that in my blog post on the Iditarod in March!) Both my husband and I have had dog sledding as an item on our bucket list. We were really happy to find a company that is owned and operated by someone who competed in the Iditarod six times. Therefore ,we found ourselves quite excited to take the hour and a half long journey to Willow, Alaska along the Knik Arm of the Cooke Inlet. The drive is absolutely beautiful, with mountains along both sides of the road and glimpses of the Cooke Inlet on the left.

Dog Houses

Each dog has its own house. As you wait for the mushers to assemble their team, you can wander around and pet the dogs. They are very friendly, and love getting attention from the guests before they go on their run.

Official Greeter

This beautiful metal sculpture greets you by the front door and sets the tone for your Alaskan Adventrue.

Safety First

These helmets are provided for those that are snow machining as part of their adventure.

Chilly Weather

Alaskans have a saying “there is no bad weather, just bad gear.” This gear is available to make sure you are warm while you enjoy Alaska.

Fireside Chats

Reba, a fellow travel respiratory therapist is enjoying a cozy fireside chat before we head out on our trip.

When you arrive onsite, you are greeted by friendly employees that check you in and make sure you are equipped for a ride outside. They have snowsuits, gloves, and other outdoor gear available for use. The weather the day we went was very pleasant at around 29 degrees Fahrenheit. Once everyone has arrived and checked in, they assemble your group for a safety brief, a presentation on dog sledding, and how to get in and out of the sled. We were able to pet the dogs while the mushers (the people who drive the sleds) assembled their team and got all the dogs hooked up to the sled.

Sleds

This is one of the sleds you will use for your dog sledding adventure. Notice there are two standing positions and one sitting spot. You will always have a musher with you to drive the team.

This sweet pup has decided to check out our group by jumping up on one of the wood piles that heat the retired dog shed in the winter.

All the Pets

This dog is happy to be receiving some pets from Charlene.

In groups of two, we were assigned which team and musher to ride with. One person sits on the front of the sled, the other stands on the back of the sled, and the musher is in the middle, driving the team. Since we were the first group of the day, the dogs were feeling fresh and ready to get running. You could feel the excitement rolling off the dogs as they pranced around in their harnesses, rearing to hit the runs. Our guide instructed the dogs to “Ready up” and in a flurry of movement, the lines holding them to our sled went taught. The anchoring rope binding our sled to hard packed snow, groaned against the eager dogs. Releasing the anchor and removing our feet from the brake, we exploded forward. The dogs shot out of the yard and into the runs with gusto and purpose. It felt like mere moments before the trail ahead of us split in multiple directions. “Haw!” yelled our guide and our lead dog immediately took the path left, thundering ever onward through the dense trees. The sound of sled rails cutting through the snowpack and biting wind washes over your face, yet neither can diminish the smile that covers it. It’s hard to realize how fast a dog can actually run until you are behind a team of hard core working dogs pulling unison. I was glad I had my gaiter on, the wind was whipping by we picked up speed and flew down our first hill.

Each trail is groomed for a smooth ride.

While we were on the sled, our musher graciously answered all our questions about dog sledding and Alaska. He was a fantastic host. We were able to stop several times and chat with the others in our party while we gave the dogs quick breaks. These stops also gave us the opportunity to trade positions, so both guests on the sled can experience the front and the back. My personal favorite was the back of the sled, as you got the feeling of taking an active role in the experience. (Though I was able to get the best pictures from the front of the sled.)

Charlene, a fellow travel RT, being pulled by her dog sled team.

Sadly, our journey came to an end before we would have liked it to. We had the best time dog sledding, and everyone in our party could agree that we would have gone out for longer. I would like to thank Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska for their amazing hospitality! If you are interested in Dog Sledding, Snow Machining (snow mobiling for those of us from the lower 48), or any of the other services offered from Snowhook Adventures, click here for their website. Justin and the rest of his staff were fantastic hosts, and we look forward to seeing them again in the summer to experience their ATV tours!

Happy Traveling!

Kat