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One of the things I really wanted to do last Alaska season, but never found the time to, was to go dog sledding at a musher camp on a glacier. There are tours that will drive you to these camps, however, a groups of friends and I,  decided to go all out and take the tour that flies you up to the glacier in a helicopter.

Getting ready to board the helicopter

Getting ready to board the helicopter

 

Flying over the glacier

Flying over the glacier

On the day that we went the weather was really bad and at one point I was scared that the tour would get cancelled. When we got to the tour office they told us that we were lucky as this was the first tour they were able to operate that day. We then got transferred out to the airport where we were issued special boots to walk on the glacier with, and had to go through a safety briefing. When it was time to board the helicopters we were lined up in a specific order based on our weights, as this was how we had to sit in the helicopter. I was lucky and was placed next to the window on one side.

 I will never get tired of helicopter rides

I will never get tired of helicopter rides

When the helicopter took of the wind cleared away most of the raindrops from the windows which allowed for a better view. We flew over some houses next to the water and some mountains before we finally arrived at the glacier. We flew close to some mountains on the side of the glacier where we could see hanging glaciers coming down. Then we could spot the camp in the distance, and soon after the helicopter landed and dropped us off.

The camp

The camp

At the camp we were met by our guide/musher and his team of 12 adorable dogs. We were placed on the sleigh right away and the dogs brought us a bit further up the glacier, to the bottom of a mountain. We were then properly introduced to the dogs and were allowed to pet them all, something I most definitely tried to do! The musher also explained certain traits of the dogs, pointing out that his private dog liked cuddles, another would dance and a third one loved to be carried around. The youngest dog was only a little over a year old and was very cuddly.

Our dog team

Our dog team

 

the youngest dog loved cuddles

the youngest dog loved cuddles

After more cuddles we got back on the sleigh to complete the circle back to camp. I got to sit all the way in front, which gave me a proper look at how the dogs were running. Every now and then one of the dogs would run outside of the tracks, but as soon as the musher yelled at them they got back in line. The musher said that the dogs were used to working as a team, and that except for one dog he had done the Iditarod race with this group.

The musher and the dogs

The musher really had a fantastic relationship wit the dogs

 

Beautiful dogs

Beautiful dogs

Back at the camp the musher explained that each dog had its own little house, and each musher has a tent. They then have a smaller house which acts at the kitchen. As the glacier moves downwards they have to move the camp every 3 weeks or so. They also get all their supplies, including water, flown in on the tourist helicopters. As the glacier is part of a national parc they also have to fly all of their waste out of the camp. The dogs live up on the glacier from May through September, the musher stay up there for the same time period, however they get to go down to town one day per week.

Spare sleigh

Spare sleigh

We got one final cuddle session as we could hear the helicopters in the distance. We then watched them fly in before doing a small fly over of the glacier and being brought back to town. In town we ended the day with a sugar overload in the crepe restaurant in town.