Northstar Glacier Trek OR Temsco Heli & Dog Sled

[OrangeCallaLily]

Yikes! I am planning our July 1, 2005 Alaskan cruise, trying to figure out which excursions to book without breaking the bank.

 

I am torn between the Northstart Glacier Trek in Juneau OR the Helicopter and Dog Sledding in Skagway.

 

Anyone prefer one over the other? Is the helicopter part for the both of them similar? Would it be worth the $ to do both (ouch, that is expensive!)?

 

Thanks!

[jrask]

I imagine every helicopter ride is different. Certainly true when you're comparing Juneau to Skagway.

 

I went through the exact same debate you did and decided that the budget just wasn't going to handle the burden of both excursions. Both get raves, so there is really no wrong choice. The best I can do is give you my experience:

 

I was initially very excited about the dogsledding. It was all I could talk about and all my friends knew that I was going to be doing it. Then I started looking at the trek, which I decided on in a dramatic turn of events. The biggest influence for me was when I looked at pictures of the glacier-portion itself and realized that the dogsledding had to happen on snow...(I looked at Northstar's web site and compared it to the dogsledding site...strangely enough I insisted upon looking at site after site to convince myself that dogsledding = snow on top of the glacier). Nothing against snow, but I had to walk/climb on the ice and explore the ice formations and see that blue up close and personal. (A secondary consideration was stories about how dogsledding is cancelled more often than other excursions...apparently particularly so out of Juneau...and I had fears - probably unjusified fears - of missing my flight opportunity.) The worst part about giving up the dogsled, for me, was missing the time with the dogs, but I found more than a few pups to play with while in Alaska (including sled dogs). To make a long story short, the Trek was just unreal and so much more than I had expected... deep electric blue caverns, tunnels of ice, waterfalls on the surface. It was definitely the right choice for me.

[OrangeCallaLily]

Thank you for your post! It sounds like you were having the same debate as I am. I was leaning toward the Trek... and I think that is what we are going to do!!

 

Thanks again for the post. :)

[natesfirewife]

You won't be sorry. We took NorthStar Trekking in July of 2003 and loved it. It has to be the most awesome thing I have ever done. I am disappointed in the fact that my kids (they'll be 9 & 11) will be too little to do it when we go back with them next summer. So I guess that leaves the dog sledding tour for us this time! The kids will dig it but I'll know what I'm missing. If you have the $$ do the four hours on the Glacier.

 

Misty

[Budget Queen]

As a compromise- if you are going on a one way cruise is to do a trek at Matanuska Glacier 2 hours north east of Anchorage. No flight needed and cheap at around $70++ per person. :) Then you could experience both. :)

[mandrews2u]

Hi,I'm also trying to make the same decisions for our Alaska Cruise July 05, do we ned to book these excursions this far in advance in order to save spots if we are not booking through the cruise? Also I was hoping someone could advice me of how to make the most of my time priar to my cruise. We arrive in Anchorage on a Monday 9pm, and the cruise does leave Whittier until 9pm on Wednesday. I have a van reserved and I was thinking either of driving up to denali or maybe down to seward, andyone have anyidea whihc is better to do or any other suggestions/ Thanks Mary-Ellen

[rachelt]

We just booked the Level 2 Trek with Northstar Trekking for our mid-June '05 cruise. They do not charge your credit card until that day (I guess in case it gets cancelled due to weather). My opinion, you can never book these things too early, especially if you are interested in going at a specific time. We wanted to go as early as possible so we'd have a little time left to look around in Juneau. We also had thought about the dogsledding, but after doing a little more research, I realized that for all that money, you really aren't sledding for all that long. Luckily the kids are old enough to go with us on the Glacier Trek.

[mandrews2u]

I guess I better make my decisions then and start booking the excursions, thanks

[Budget Queen]

Hi,I'm also trying to make the same decisions for our Alaska Cruise July 05, do we ned to book these excursions this far in advance in order to save spots if we are not booking through the cruise? Also I was hoping someone could advice me of how to make the most of my time priar to my cruise. We arrive in Anchorage on a Monday 9pm, and the cruise does leave Whittier until 9pm on Wednesday. I have a van reserved and I was thinking either of driving up to denali or maybe down to seward, andyone have anyidea whihc is better to do or any other suggestions/ Thanks Mary-Ellen

 

 

You do NOT have enough time for EITHER area. Neither Denali Park nor Seward are day trips. I would strongly suggest you add days to your pre cruise time- at least 5 days. Otherwise- you will be better off staying in and touring Anchorage and perhaps the Anchorage area. You have greatly underestimated distances and necessary time. I'll assume you did NOT rent with Avis for a one way return to Whittier??? That will make it necessary to arrange transportation to Whittier from Anchorage. So then you only have one day since you will have to be in Anchorage for this- most likely. Request the Anchorage visitor guide and look it over. http://www.anchorage.net

[misterchatter]

Last May we did the 14 Day Pacific Coastal/Alaska Cruise on Celebrity Summit. We did the heli/dogsled in Skagway with Temsco. Expensive, yes, but an unforgetable moment in your life. Your'e up 6000 ft. on a Glacier with a 600 dog camp. You get to drive the dogled, very exciting. We were told to dress warmly, get up there and the guides are in t-shirts, they were even sun burned. We would definitely do it again, not even think twice about doing it. Have fun

[mandrews2u]

Thanks Budget Queen for the input on time needed for Denali and or Seward, that's what I needed to know. We really were originally planning on only taking the cruise, not doing any pre-touring on our own.Than we couldn't get our free airline tickets unless we flew into anchorage 2 nights prior to our ship sailing out of Whittier so we did reserve a van with Avis for drop off in Whittier, however we were hoping that with the almost 2 days that we had that it would be possible to drive somewhere, see something other than anchorage as I havent read anything about things to do in anchorage. I had though that it was possible to get up the day after arrival in anchorage, possible drive to Seward, taking a pre-arranged tour, spend the night, drive to whittier the next day as the ship doesn't leave until 9pm, or do maybe drive up to talkeeta? Thanks, mary-Ellen

[Budget Queen]

Last May we did the 14 Day Pacific Coastal/Alaska Cruise on Celebrity Summit. We did the heli/dogsled in Skagway with Temsco. Expensive, yes, but an unforgetable moment in your life. Your'e up 6000 ft. on a Glacier with a 600 dog camp. You get to drive the dogled, very exciting. We were told to dress warmly, get up there and the guides are in t-shirts, they were even sun burned. We would definitely do it again, not even think twice about doing it. Have fun

 

 

 

 

For clairfication- my experience with TEMSCO is the ride is in tantum with a driver sled and you do not "drive" your own sled??? You can stand on the runners of the second sled?? I had to go to an all day "dog sledding" school to learn to drive and give commands. :) Had to retake it the second year!!!

[Budget Queen]

Thanks Budget Queen for the input on time needed for Denali and or Seward, that's what I needed to know. We really were originally planning on only taking the cruise, not doing any pre-touring on our own.Than we couldn't get our free airline tickets unless we flew into anchorage 2 nights prior to our ship sailing out of Whittier so we did reserve a van with Avis for drop off in Whittier, however we were hoping that with the almost 2 days that we had that it would be possible to drive somewhere, see something other than anchorage as I havent read anything about things to do in anchorage. I had though that it was possible to get up the day after arrival in anchorage, possible drive to Seward, taking a pre-arranged tour, spend the night, drive to whittier the next day as the ship doesn't leave until 9pm, or do maybe drive up to talkeeta? Thanks, mary-Ellen

 

 

You first need to clairfy when that car has to be returned to Whittier. From my information- they closed at 6pm?? You are extremely short on time- decide what is your priority?? Talkeetna is 2 hours from Anchorage- probably the better choice- IF of interest- flightseeing of McKinley is the bonus there. Anchorage has plenty to occupy you for a day- request their visitor guide. http://www.anchorage.net

[misterchatter]

On the "driving" of the dogsled I didn't mean to misinform anyone. Your are second sled. You take turns "driving" with the one sitting down in the secodn sled. You regulate the brake on the second sled. It takes a lot of experience to really drive. Quite the time, even if not the "real musher."

[mandrews2u]

Thanks Budget Queen, we have decided to do as you suggested, and use the limited time we have before the cruise and do something in anchorage and then drive up to Talkeeta the next day, then down to Whittier that evening. Avis has extended the drop off in whitter to 8pm now.Any suggestions for 2 teenage girls and two adults for a day in and around anchorage? Oh also do you know if or how you can bid for a suite on priceline or should I just bid for two rooms? Or would 1 night in Anchorage and then one in Talkeeta be better? Any thoughts on this?Thanks, Mary-Ellen

[Budget Queen]

Priceline has no options for type of rooms so 2 rooms would be your best bet. But I would overnight in Talkeetna, perhaps driving up in the evening after the day in Anchorage? The top lodging is the Talkeetna Alaska Lodge. But plenty of B&B's for some real Alaska experience. I really like the Talkeetna Roadhouse- but only the 3 upstairs rooms- 1 shared bath. But would work well if you had 2 rooms? Then just a yummy excellent breakfast in the morning. :) On the way up/down from Talkeetna- consider short stops- Wasilla sled dog Headquarters museum, Eklutna Spirit house tour, Eagle River Nature Center.

[mandrews2u]

o.k., thanks, we will deffinatley bid for two rooms. We keep going back and forth, talkeeta or seward, we just so want to make the most of that 1 1/2 days, we get into anchorage till after 9pm, so figure straight to bed, up by 6am and either head to seward or talkeeta, and will book rooms for that night, so it's either 1 noght anchorage,a night talkeeta or a night anchorage, a nigth seward,next time I go, no cruise, land only on our own.