What was a unique experience that you had while visiting Juneau, Alaska?
Our most recent unique experience was us riding on the back of an Alaskan Sled Dog Cart, with 15 Giant, trained Husky Sled dogs, while on an excursion with Princess Cruises in Juneau, Alaska. These huskies carted us around a 1.5 mile track at their top speed, in the rain, while we hung on tight to take in the experience, and also try to capture a couple of our memories on video.
The beginnings of the video and pictures didn't come out so great as the ride WAS pretty rocky. We did our best though!
Things To Do While In The Juneau, Alaska Cruise Port
We have been to Juneau, Alaska before. There are a lot of different things one can do with a whole day to explore. For example, The Crown Princess was offering a number of excursions that included:
a. Mendenhall Glacier, which is 12 miles long and a half mile wide;
b. Glacier Flightseeing, which is where you go by helicopter to see the Juneau Icefield with the glaciers, icefalls and rock formations;
c. Mount Roberts Tramway, where you could go to get a panoramic view of the city 1800 feet above;
d. Macaulay Salmon Hatchery, where you would get an understanding of the life cycle of salmon; and
e. Various Outdoor adventures, which included whale watching, fishing, hiking, dog sledding and more.
These excursions all sounded fun and exciting, but we really wanted to try something different, and exhilarating. This is what brought us to our decision of going dog sledding!
We chose to go on the Sled Dog excursion
Did you know that Alaska's state sport is dog sledding? We wanted to learn more about the sport, and the Iditarod, and decided to visit the summertime training grounds to take a ride in a wheeled sled, learn about the evolution of the sport, and meet the mushers, dogs, and puppies.
We had previously been to Alaska on the Majestic Princess, and had a chance to learn about the Iditarod sport and we met a few of the puppies that were being trained for sled dog riding. We thought that actually going to the summer training camp would be a lot of fun, so that we could learn more though a unique experience.
Fast Facts
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, known as "The Last Great Race on Earth," is held annually in Alaska, covering approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from Anchorage to Nome.
The official state sport of Alaska is dog mushing, reflecting its historical significance as a means of transportation in the snowy terrain.
The Alaskan malamute, a breed of dog known for its sled-pulling abilities, has been known to "mush" while fast asleep, dreaming of epic dog sledding adventures.
The Day: Our First Impressions
There were a number of excursions booked for this day. Although the camp is really close to the terminal (It was about a 15 minute drive by bus), we still had to get up relatively early because we had to tender into the port this time. The Crown Princess is a smaller ship than the other ships that were expected, so that was the reason that we didn't get to dock this time.
Our bus driver and tour guide was late, leaving all of us to stand in the rain for nearly half an hour. It was pouring rain, so we didn't walk around much while we were waiting for the bus. We were left in a very convenient location, and could have taken a lot of pictures of many of the sites and shops.
We arrived at the dog camp, and the dogs were all ready for us! They were yelping and looking really anxious to start running. They have a lot of energy to burn, so we were told that we would be doing the dog sled ride first, so that they would be a lot more calm for us to take pictures and pet the dogs.
The dogs all looked very fit! All of the dogs were named, and each dog's unique personality was obvious to all of us! A couple were dominant, another was super shy, and others were definitely loving the attention of the people!
The Sled Dog Excursion
We loaded ourselves onto the dog sled. There were 7 of us, plus the musher on our sled. The people in the first row actually got soaking wet because it was raining, and because the dogs ran pretty fast at times through the course, causing a lot of rain to splatter.
Kirk got to stand in the back of the sled with the musher, so ideally, he was going to be taking great videos and pictures from that vantage point, but instead, he nearly dropped the camera and started filming his own hand. hahaha
It was our turn to get on the sled... we had seen other people take off so suddenly and we were nervous that we would fall off of the cart! Luckily, we weren't first, so that we could learn about what NOT to do based on the experiences others were having!
A good idea, if you are ever going to try this, is to make sure that you are wearing warm gloves and a hat. We also had enough foresight to bring gloves... we had to hang on tight so that we didn't fall out of the cart, and also because it was cold and wet outside!
What We Learned And Experienced From Dog Sledding
I know what you are thinking... I was thinking this at first too... "How could I make an animal cart me around... isn't that abuse?"
NO.
The dogs LOVE to burn off their energy. They have been doing this all of their lives, running at top speeds. When the dog retires, they still need to exercise, so this is why dog sledding is such a good activity for them. They are not being abused or taken advantage of. They need to run every day!
Keep in mind that the dogs aren't purposely bred for the art of taking cruise ship passengers on a 1.5 mile insane run every day... They are bred for the reason of transportation in Alaska, and these days for the training of Alaska's sport, the Iditarod.
One dog was the leader and obeyed the commands given by the sled dog driver. Apparently the dogs hear EVERYTHING. We were in the rain, and with other people, yet the dogs still could hear, and knew what to do.
The Verdict about the dog sledding excursion
These are not your ordinary husky dogs that you have curled up next to you on the couch. These dogs in Alaska are trained animals.
We got to meet 5 of the newest (one month old) puppies on our visit to the camp. They are all very well taken care of!
Overall, we had a good experience. The people at the facility all seemed very knowledgeable, and seemed to really care about every single dog. We learned a lot about the history of dog sledding, and about the sport itself.
At the end of our experience, we got to meet 5 of the newest puppies, who had just turned 1 month old on the day of our visit.
If you want to consider more about what happens at the dog sled musher's camp, read a few of the FAQ:
Can I pet and play with the sled dogs?
Yes, the dogs love human interaction and the musher's will let you get close and snuggly with their team.
Can children attend this tour alone?
We strongly recommend having a parent or adult guardian, especially for younger kids. This tour is not exclusively for kids and is just as fun for adults!
Do I get to drive the dogsled?
No, for safety reasons you will not have the opportunity to run the sled. You'll be able to sit back and watch firsthand while your expert musher controls their team!
What type of clothing should I wear?
Layered and waterproof clothing are recommended.
Finally, we want to ask you if YOU would ever consider trying a dog sled ride?
Would you consider going on a Dog Sled Ride?
YES!
NO!
I HAVE ALREADY DONE SO!