Winter in Alaska: Paws for Adventure dog mushing tour through Fairbanks (video)

by Darren Murph on

In the spirit of journeying during periods less traveled, I’ve embarked to Alaska this winter. Follow the adventures here, and prepare to have your preconceived notions destroyed along the way.



Video footage from my one hour Paws for Adventure dog sled tour in Fairbanks, AK

The more time I spent in Alaska during the winter, the more I asked myself why this wasn’t considered a tourist season. A week or so ago, Fairbanks was gifted with an atypical dumping of fresh powder, making the conditions more than perfect for a day of dog mushing. Following the races down at Fur Rondy, I headed up north to Fairbanks for a slightly different kind of dog race: one that began and ended at a homestead. Paws For Adventure is an Alaskan outfit that uses their stable of dogs strictly for casual runs — nothing competitive whatsoever. These pups were downright adorable, and I was able to sit down (with owner Leslie Goodwin) in a sled behind ten beautiful dogs. They hauled us along like champs, and they were thrilled to be doing it. I couldn’t help but make a few rounds praising them all afterwards, and even now, it’s one of the highlights of my trip to The Last Frontier. If you’re looking for a truly Alaskan adventure to partake in whilst in Fairbanks, look no further. Have a peek at the video above to get a gist of what to expect.

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[Images provided by Dana Jo Photography]

My trip was sponsored by Alaska Travel Industry Association, but I was free to report as I saw fit. The opinions expressed in this article are 100% my own.

Five Sled Dog Adventures

by Kraig Becker on

With the holidays come and gone, and winter now fully set in, many of us start counting the days until spring is here and the warm weather returns. But winter can provide great opportunities for outdoor adventure, giving you plenty of reasons to bundle up and head out for some fun.

Take this story for example from CNN.com. It lists five of the best sled dog adventures that allow even inexperienced mushers to get out and have some fun. The trips vary in length from just a couple of hours all the way up to multiple days with prices scaling to match. Those looking to just go for a winter ride on sled can get by with a short, two hour trip that can cost less than $100, while the more adventurous can spend as much as $10,000 on a two-week expedition through the remote Yukon Territory with the Uncommon Journeys guide service.

Most of the guides mentioned in the CNN article are located in Alaska and Canada, but you’ll find others in the continental United States as well. Mahoosuc Guide Service in Maine is the example of this from the story, but there are others in Minnesota, Montana, Washington, and so on.

Traveling by sled dog can be a unique and rewarding way to see some of the most remote and pristine areas on the planet. So put on your warm clothes, bring some hot cocoa, and enjoy the ride.