Whoever conceived of training dogs to pull a sled must surely have done it out of necessity. Historical photographs can be found in museums and galleries throughout Alaska, showing images of early Alaskans using their teams to check traplines, visit other villages and travel safely in winter.
Visitors, too, can benefit from the sport’s popularity. Many contemporary mushers offer learn-to-mush programs, or simply offer short dog sled rides for a small fee. It is great training for the animals, and helps the people who own the dogs keep them in shape for competition.
According to the International Federation of Sled Dog Sports, archaeological evidence shows mushing goes back some 4,000 years in the northern regions of North America and Siberia. Think of sled dogs as working animals and that evidence makes sense: just as early American farmers depended upon draft horses to plow fields, so too, did the people of northern regions depend on sled dogs for survival in harsh winter conditions.
So, perhaps it’s the long history, combined with the romantic, Jack London-inspired tales of man and dog, which attracts people to mushing today. In Alaska, mushing is part of life in winter, and dog drivers of all ages and abilities take part in the official state sport.
“I think the most popular things we offer here in the winter are northern-lights viewing and dog mushing,” said Katie Orth, visitors’ services manager at the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau. Fairbanks is recognized as one of the state’s most popular areas for mushing, although opportunities for sled rides exist throughout the state. “Those are the requests we get from the most people who walk in the door.”
Whether you prefer a quick ride in a sled or a weeklong dog sledding adventure, Orth said it can be arranged.
“We have one company that’s right (in town) who do tours right out of there,” she said. “It’s a real brief 15-minute type of ride for those who just want to say they did it.”
Or there is the other extreme, offered by such tour operators as Denali West Lodge, located in Alaska’s Bush in an area called Lake Minchumina. During the multi-day, all-amenities-included adventure, you’ll fly from Fairbanks to Lake Minchumina, step off the plane and onto the runners of a dog sled. The team will carry you back to the lodge, where you’ll spend the day relaxing and learning about the dogs, followed by a backcountry trip to the base of Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest peak.
Another Fairbanks-area mushing opportunity includes Leslie Goodwin’s PAWS for Adventure Sled Dog Tours, located in Two Rivers, perhaps the bulls-eye of mushing communities. Her tours can be arranged on a half-day, daylong or overnight schedule, or can even include multi-day trips later in the season, when the conditions are best.
Closer to Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, the possibilities are just as plentiful. Just north of town is a series of mushing trails in the bedroom community of Chugiak. At least one Chugiak kennel, Birch Trails, offers daylong, learn-to-mush programs, as well as more lengthy expeditions.
“For the first hour (of the Learn-to-Mush program), we talk all about the dogs, the harnesses, booties, brake, sled and snow hook, and everything else they need to know to stand on that sled and handle it,” said Angie Hamill, who runs the kennel with her husband, Tom. “It gives (clients) the chance to understand what it’s really like.”
At the other end of the Anchorage area, along Turnagain Arm, there is another option for mushing, available in the ski town of Girdwood with Chugach Express Dog Sled Tours. The trips are arranged through Alaska 4 Seasons, and one of the most popular tours among visitors is the one-day Moose Meadow trek, in which dog and man are paired for a relatively short but all-inclusive sled ride through some of the flatter land in the area. It’s a great way to break up a skiing vacation with something a bit different, and will make for a great tail — er, tale — when you get back home.
Alaska 4 Seasons also books lengthier mushing tours at Lucky Husky Kennels in Willow, some 50 miles north of Anchorage. Ask about the half and full-day tours.
More off-the-beaten-path locations include an overnight mushing adventure in the historic Bettles Lodge, in Bettles, a village in the Brooks Range accessible by airplane only. This trip also includes the option of adding mushing days to your itinerary, or just relaxing at the lodge, watching the northern lights (nearly guaranteed to come out if the nights are clear), or visiting the neighboring village and its Indian and Eskimo residents.
So, now that a mushing trip has been moved to the top of the to-do list, there are a few more bits of information to tuck away. First, come prepared so you’re ready to have fun. Many tour companies provide warm clothing and boots, but ask ahead. If not, dress extra warm and in layers. Also, don’t wear the fancy fur coat or leather jacket unless you don’t mind it getting dirty. Sled dogs are affectionate creatures, and even the best behaved of them can’t help but jump up and down a bit when they get excited for a run.
Second, remember this one very important rule: Never, ever let go of the sled. Most likely, this will not be an issue for those who attend a tour because the kennel owners use only extremely well-trained dogs that are unlikely to try to run off. Even so, be prepared and hold on tight.
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