Dog Sledding/Mendenhall Glacier Excursion Weather

[ringmaster]

For those that might have been on the glacier lately, can you tell me what kind of weather/temperature you experienced? Trying to prepare the best I can.

 

Thank you!

[cardqb]

The day we went for a helicopter ride to the glacier they had been cancelling flights all morning due to low visibility.. it was a rather cloudy day. Ours was in the afternoon and it was all clear.

 

We made the mistake of wearing hiking boots for better traction on the glacier. That's not necessary. Sneakers/walking shoes are fine.. the Temsco folks gave us some boots that go over your shoes with metal cleats on them for the glacier.

 

Clothing wise, we wore light jackets, but put on gloves and beanies when on the glacier because the wind made it a bit chilly to exposed extremities. But it wasn't so cold that it went through your clothes.

 

We even took off the gloves and drank some of the fresh glacier water in a stream running through the glacier. No illnesses from it.. although we had second thoughts after we did it! LOL!! Thoughts of water in Mexico raced through our mind. The tour guides were drinking it themselves and said it was safe.

 

Brought home a little souvenir container of glacier water that we scooped up too!

[paradiseisaprincessaway]

so i guess it would be way overboard to don snowpants and uggs to do this excursion? I too am booked on the dog sledding glacier excrsion and want to be totally prepared. I have the afternoon session and hope there are no cancellations, that would be very sad.

[volunteer cruiser]

My family of 8 did this dog sledding excursion on Mendenhall glacier July 7 in Juneau. We had good weather, mostly cloudy and temp about 60* but no rain. I did not ask the temp on the glacier. We wore warm socks, tennis shoes, pants, long sleeve shirt, fleece jacket and I wore hat and gloves and my rain jacket for extra warmth because I don't do cold well living in hot, humid Tennessee. Noone else in my group wore that much. You will be provided with rubber shoe covers to keep your shoes dry and to provide traction as previous poster, cardqb stated. Our musher did not wear as much, he looks as if he could tolerate below zero temps very well. If you forget your sunglasses, they will provide you with a pair. This was an incredibly fun experience and I feel fortunate that the weather cooperated for us.

 

[mresley]

Who did you book with, the ship or an independent? This sounds like a once in a lifetime experience.

[ringmaster]

Volunteer Cruiser this is exactly the info I was looking for, thanks. It sounds like you wore just about what I planned on us wearing. Your picture makes me even more excited to go, if that's possible!

 

Hoping we don't get cancelled too! Will just be the pitts!

 

Thanks everyone!

[volunteer cruiser]

Who did you book with, the ship or an independent? This sounds like a once in a lifetime experience.

 

 

I booked through the cruise line. The helicopter company is Temsco and the dogg sledding company is Alaska Icefield expeditions. 2 separate companies that work together to provide a unique Alaskan experience.

[chipmaster]

Weather changes by the hour and day. It could be perfect one day or one hour and cloudy with 10-20 degree temperature drop the next. Hope for 70 and sun and shortsleeve / sunglasses, prepare for 40's and rain.

 

Glacier sledding is dicey and often canceled due to the high altitude on the moutain it is done. It is pricey but if you get lucky and catch that magic moment it is worth the shocking price they charge. My wife thought I was crazy when she saw the prebook bill, but afterwards it was one of the highlights.

 

Prebook is good for assuring you a specific timeslot, thru the ship costs a bit more and give you advantage of not having to swallow the charge till end of your cruies. On our cruise the day of sailing there were still many slots/times open but they do fill fast on the ship.

 

For reference ours was the first flight out that morning. By afternoon on our day it was shortsleeve weather.

[lofoten96]

Great photos, thanks for sharing. What sort of price are we talking about for the helicopter and dog sledding? We are going September. Thanks.

[TravlGrl]

My story is a bit different. We were booked for dog sledding on Mendenhall Glacier out of Juneau, Monday, July 8 only one day after Volunteer Cruiser. As chipmaster said, the weather changes HOURLY! Our tour was canceled.

 

It was a big heartbreak, as this was on my bucket list. I almost turned into a little baby and was near tears. No tours to the glacier took place that day, according to Princess. However, thanks to my research in advance here on CC, I knew what to do.

 

I immediately went to the Shore Excursions person for Princess who was stationed at a kiosk at the pier, and requested 2 slots the next day out of Skagway. We were told it was full but to complete the paperwork, and if there were any cancellations, they'd let us know.

 

The next morning, we got up early, hadn't heard anything from Shore Excursions, so we called Guest Relations and they confirmed there was a booking on our account for dog sledding in Skagway.

 

We got dressed -- layers, layers, layers -- I wore a t-shirt as my base layer, then a fleece, then a medium-weight jacket, and then a rain jacket and rain pants. I wore a snow cap that covered my ears, along with gloves. It didn't rain, but it was cold as any ski day. Those sleds get wet from the ice, so your butt will get wet (they will wipe it down for you), but we wore our rain pants over our jeans so there was no need to wipe down the sled from moisture.

 

Sooooo, moral of the story -- get ready to reschedule your dog sledding tour if it gets canceled, and even if they tell you the next day is already full, put in your request and cross your fingers.

 

We had the time of our lives!

 

P.S. When our tour was canceled, it was not raining. It was just cloudy. Also, when we rescheduled for the next day, the tour was to a Denver Glacier. Still gorgeous with the cutest husky puppies. My husband and I got to drive our own sled. Amazing time!

[TravlGrl]

Great photos, thanks for sharing. What sort of price are we talking about for the helicopter and dog sledding? We are going September. Thanks.

We booked in advance at $549/person. Yes, spendy. However, the prices went up for most -- to $599/person, which is what we had to pay when we rescheduled for the next day.

[lofoten96]

Thanks Tara, that would be so hard to have the trip cancelled with the weather! We are travelling so far for this trip (Australia) so it's not likely we will ever get back there again. If our excursion is cancelled we have already been to Skagway so that wont be an option unfortunately. I don't think the dog sleds are an option in late september unfortunately. I better prepare myself for the weather then, thanks.

[TravlGrl]

Thanks Tara, that would be so hard to have the trip cancelled with the weather! We are travelling so far for this trip (Australia) so it's not likely we will ever get back there again. If our excursion is cancelled we have already been to Skagway so that wont be an option unfortunately. I don't think the dog sleds are an option in late september unfortunately. I better prepare myself for the weather then, thanks.

Did you already book the dog sled excursion? The reason I ask is because I did what the good people here on CC suggested which was to book the dog sled excursion in the very first port where it's being offered. That way, you have an alternative if it does get canceled. Can you book it in Skagway since you go there first, and then use Juneau as your back-up?

 

If not, visualize, visualize, visualize. Visualize yourselves in the helicopter and then on the dog sled and WILL IT TO HAPPEN!

[TravlGrl]

Here's a super short video of our dog sled excursion July 9th. I'm the one in the back with the red vest, waving to the camera. My husband is filming, and the gal in the blue in the middle is the guide who owns 70 of the 240 doggies at the camp.