Dog Sled Tours Fairbanks Natives Offer Are Unique, Informative, And Lots Of Fun

By Kathleen Jones


If your idea of a great vacation is spending time in the wilderness, enjoying amazing scenery, and learning a skill that is thousands of years old, you should head for Alaska. There are dog sled tours Fairbanks natives are ready to share with you almost any time of the year. Not only will you have closeup view of an amazing landscape, you will learn what it takes to become a musher and how the dogs are trained.

If you book your trip for the spring or winter months, you'll have a chance to take a mushing tour. They normally begin by mushers introducing their dogs and explaining some of the history of these intelligent and athletic animals. The mushers will teach you how to harness the Huskies and hook up the tag sled you will be using. You will have the opportunity to see what it's like to drive these sleds, without being responsible for actually controlling them.

Visitors who want a more in depth sledding experience, and have a week to spare, can enroll in a dog sled school. During this week you will live in housing that replicates the off grid lifestyle of the natives. The cost for the day tour and the week long school vary depending on which package you choose. In most cases, kid and military discounts don't apply.

If you've never experienced winter and spring in the northern part of the United States, you might need some help when it comes to attire. The staff at your destination location will be happy to give you advice. The tour package they send you will probably include good suggestions as well. The Huskies will chew on fur so it's recommended you leave anything like that at home. Heavy gloves, socks, boots, and coats are a must.

You can still experience the excitement of a dog sled tour in the summer and fall months. When there is not enough snow for the sleds, experienced guides will take guests out for safari tours with the dogs pulling wheeled buggies. As with the winter expeditions, a summer tour starts inside the yard and a chance to meet the Huskies. You might be lucky enough to see some pups.

You can bypass the buggies if you so choose and take a Husky hike instead. If this is your plan you'll spend time walking the trails alongside the dogs, who are happy to be off leash and allowed to run free. Before the hike, you'll meet the Huskies and have a chance to learn something about their history. Once the tour ends, mushers bring the latest litters out for guests to enjoy.

You probably won't need parkas and warm socks for a summer tour, but mushers suggest you bring long pants and long sleeved shirts. The mosquitoes and gnats can be an annoyance. Bringing good insect repellent, with DEET, is advised.

Alaska is an amazing state to visit no matter what time of the year you go. You won't regret time spent learning about the ancient dog sledding traditions and meeting the great Huskies that pull the sleds. This is a vacation you won't soon forget.




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