Musher's Camp & Sled Dog Discovery

OVERVIEW

Visit a musher’s camp and ride a wheeled sled that Alaskan huskies will effortlessly pull through the Alaskan wilds. The camp lies in Dyea, a gold rush boomtown that is now somewhat of a ghost town. The last leg of the journey there will be in an all-terrain Mercedes Unimog made to negotiate the off-road terrain. After learning a bit about competitive mushing in events such as the famed Iditarod, you will hop onto a custom-designed wheeled sled behind a team of powerful dogs. They will then whisk you down a zigzagging, one-mile trail in the Tongass National Forest. The sheer strength and stamina of the dogs will be apparent from the get-go. Back in camp, the mushers will elaborate on their dog-sledding strategies, trace the history of the sport and demonstrate how the dogs and mushers train. Afterwards, you can interact with some of the puppies.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit a musher’s camp to learn how the dogs are trained to pull sleds through the snow.
• Ride in a wheeled dog sled along a forested trail behind a team of Alaskan huskies.
• Hear colorful tales of mushing and the Iditarod competition.
• Interact with Alaskan husky puppies at the musher’s camp.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.