Glacier Dog Sledding in Juneau?

[JerseyMom]

We are booked on the NCL Star for August next summer and I was wondering if anyone has done the Glacier Dog Sledding in Juneau. Would you recommend it with an 11 year old?

[Budget Queen]

It is one of the top tours in Alaska. Always getting consistant raves. But be prepared, it is also the most canceled of all Alaska tours. Have back up plans.

[JerseyMom]

Thanks, Budget Queen. Is weather usually the cause of cancellations?

 

I will definitely keep in mind a plan B.

[Budget Queen]

Yes, and it's a fixed camp so they can't go elsewhere.

 

 

Sometimes on the glacier helicopter landing flights they can go to a different area.

[jstducky]

I did the dog sledding in Juneau this past July with ERA Aviation. It was fantastic. They are a class operation. The dog sled guides are fantastic and you can tell they really love what they do and are more than eager to talk about what they do and share their knowledge! It was an experience of a lifetime. I think that an 11 yo would love it! And at the end of the dog sledding you get to meet each and everyone of the dogs on your dog sled team! it was just amazing!

[Budget Queen]

Coastal also runs an excellent glacier dog sledding tour, using Godwin's dogs. Most always the a cost saver over the other operators.

[JerseyMom]

I did the dog sledding in Juneau this past July with ERA Aviation. It was fantastic. They are a class operation. The dog sled guides are fantastic and you can tell they really love what they do and are more than eager to talk about what they do and share their knowledge! It was an experience of a lifetime. I think that an 11 yo would love it! And at the end of the dog sledding you get to meet each and everyone of the dogs on your dog sled team! it was just amazing!

 

My son will absolutely love it! He adores dogs and I am sure will question them about how they are caring for the animals. He wants to be an ASPCA officer when he grows up. I am really looking forward to seeing his reactions and I will keep my fingers crossed about the weather.

[jstducky]

If you're son loves dogs this much, he'll love the excursion.

 

When I went, the dog musher couldn't talk enough about what he does, how he got invovlved in dog mushing, how to care for the dogs, etc.

 

We were fortunate that the only people on our dog team were myself and my friend, riding on the back sled, and then the dog musher in the lead sled. So while the dogs were pulling the sled through the snow, the musher would stand on his sled with his back to the dogs so that he could face us and answer any questions we had for him.

 

It was just such an amazing experience!

[Foots]

Jersey Mom,

 

My wife and I also went on the Mendenhall Glacier Dog Mushing tour and it was the one excursion we most looked forward to. We went almost at the end of the season (Sept.9) and were concerned about the excursion being canceled because we had heard that others had the week before our cruise. We called before leaving and was assured that they would be running until the middle of the month. It was everything we had hoped for. The helicopters flew in pairs. I was able to sit up front with the pilot and got some good video flying over the glacier. The flight isn't very long and they fly slow so you can enjoy everything below. After fifteen minutes or so of flying you top a mountain and the dogs, dog boxes and sleds come into view. There were around 120-150 dogs in camp. We had a blast. They take a picture along the sled route that you can purchase for $20.

They had two sleds tied together (multiple sets) so three people would ride along with the musher, one standing in the back sled and two sitting, one with the musher and one in back. They stopped the sled twice so we could change positions, everyone got to stand and sit. You will absolutely love it.

We also got to see Susan Butchers dogs up in Fairbanks. There were a couple of places where you can visit dogs. Enjoy!

[CassCruise]

Foots, did they say whether the excursions at that time of year are often cancelled?? We will be going that time next year and it is definitely on our list of things we must do...

 

Does anyone know off hand whether there is an age limit for this excursion - dd's will be 6&8 at the time.

 

Jane

[JerseyMom]

I really appreciate the information. Based on what you have posted, it sounds like it is definitely worth the expense. I will, however, not even tell my son we are doing this excursion just in case it gets cancelled. I think he would be very disappointed if he looks forward to it and then it gets cancelled.

[Budget Queen]

This is the first year of the last 3 that the glacier dog sledding made it into Sept.

 

Doubt there is an age limit, but your child probably wouldn't be sitting alone on a sled. Contact the vender directly and inquire- ERA, TEMSCO or Coastal.

[Foots]

We were told that the end of August is towards the end of the season for dog mushing but they try to hold on as long as possible while cruise ships are coming (middle to late Sept.)

We were on a land trip before the cruise, starting in Fairbanks. We were really concerned if our mushing trip in Juneau was canceled we wouldn't have another opportunity before the cruise ended.

I would suggest to anyone who wants to experience anything to do with dogsledding to book any kind of excursion that would include going to an ididirod camp, someone who races or just ordinary people who use dogs during the winter. Even though we got to visit Susan Butcher's dogs, I wish now I had booked other places along our route before getting to Juneau.

You always hear about the weather, and no one can know what will happen during their trip. If I had to do it again, and I am seriously considering going back next summer, I would book a couple of trips to different dog camps before my heli/dog mushing trip. These trips are just going to camps and visiting the dogs, usually they pull a sled on wheels and this is a lot cheaper than the heli ride but will make for happy memories if that is what you are looking forward to.

 

Jstducky is correct in the excitement the dog owners have on the glacier. Our musher was in charge of 30 dogs and was from Montana. She was leaving after the season (mid Sept.) to go to Mississippi to help with the Red Cross after the first hurricane. This was a special meeting between us since we are from Mississippi and had left home just the day before the hurricane hit.

 

Good luck.

[Budget Queen]

We were told that the end of August is towards the end of the season for dog mushing but they try to hold on as long as possible while cruise ships are coming (middle to late Sept.)

We were on a land trip before the cruise, starting in Fairbanks. We were really concerned if our mushing trip in Juneau was canceled we wouldn't have another opportunity before the cruise ended.

I would suggest to anyone who wants to experience anything to do with dogsledding to book any kind of excursion that would include going to an ididirod camp, someone who races or just ordinary people who use dogs during the winter. Even though we got to visit Susan Butcher's dogs, I wish now I had booked other places along our route before getting to Juneau.

You always hear about the weather, and no one can know what will happen during their trip. If I had to do it again, and I am seriously considering going back next summer, I would book a couple of trips to different dog camps before my heli/dog mushing trip. These trips are just going to camps and visiting the dogs, usually they pull a sled on wheels and this is a lot cheaper than the heli ride but will make for happy memories if that is what you are looking forward to.

 

Jstducky is correct in the excitement the dog owners have on the glacier. Our musher was in charge of 30 dogs and was from Montana. She was leaving after the season (mid Sept.) to go to Mississippi to help with the Red Cross after the first hurricane. This was a special meeting between us since we are from Mississippi and had left home just the day before the hurricane hit.

 

Good luck.

 

 

There are probably 100, opportunities, interior Alaska to visit dog kennels with many having cart rides. They are all over interior Alaska.

 

An excellent glacier dog sledding is also out of Seward with Godwin's. So if it is a must do, and you are traveling interior Alaska with a southbound cruise, this may be the best option.

[StillLooking4Adventure]

We took the TEMSCO helicopter/dogsled tour. It was the highlight of our two weeks and multiple excursions in Alaska. Our 10 year old loved it. If you book directly with TEMSCO and not through the cruise line, they will give you 1/2 price for the children. (at least they did 2 years ago.) The only problem then becomes getting there on your own. We got lucky and someone offered us a ride, otherwise it is a fairly long walk from the pier.