*Sometimes, this job as a Travel Guide for a cruise line really makes me pinch myself. While working the Alaska season, I got the chance to experience one of the most quintessentially Alaskan things ever. It involved sky high views, a famous glacier, and the cutest of puppy dogs.
This experience had a lot of firsts for me: my first helicopter ride, my first up-close glacier experience, and my first sled dog ride! (You may recall, I did go to a reindeer camp in northern Norway with the Sami people, but there wasn’t enough snow then for a sled ride.) One of Alaska’s claims to fame is the Iditarod dogsled race, but those sled dogs need somewhere to practice during the summer! Enter: glacier-top summer camps. What is it like to hitch a helicopter ride to hangout with huskies high up above Juneau? I’m so glad you asked 😉
Helicopter Ride Over Mendenhall Glacier
My outing started with a 15-minute drive to a small airport (and our driver was full of some colorful Juneau trivia–it made the ride quite entertaining). Once at the center, our group went through a safety briefing, pulled on the special glacier shoe covers (as to not track anything onto the ice), and were led to the helicopter. You could see the helicopters coming in and out like clockwork (glacier excursions in Juneau are quite popular, as it turns out). I admit I had a few nerves boarding such a small aircraft, but I felt like we were in good hands with Pilot Michelle.
And then the view…
Listen, cruising through Juneau as much as we do, you never stop hearing about Mendenhall Glacier–this 13-mile long glacier is one of the most accessible ones in Alaska and one of the main things to do in Juneau. At this point, I hadn’t visited the glacier in-person yet, so seeing it from the air was my first impression. And…wow. I see why people call it a river of ice. And to dip between the crags of the mountains, see the lush greenery, Gastineau Channel, and just the sheer scale of Alaskan wilderness, well, I shed a tear or two. Absolutely beautiful.
But just a short 15 minutes later and we were descending, steep walls all around us. What started out as tiny black specks in the distance materialized into tents and rows of sled dogs. The chopper touched down on the glacier. We were here.
Sled Dog Summer Camp on a Glacier
It seems like the time spent on top of the glacier went by in a flash! We met some mushers and got to hear about the lifestyle and industry, whether they had their own team of sled dogs or signed up just to train and live the lifestyle. There were more than a few mentions of the Iditarod and other races. And then it was time to hop on a sled! Our musher took us around the camp and explained a bit more about what a typical day on the glacier was like, how much they run the dogs, how often they get to rotate into town, etc. (Heads up, if you sit in the very front, then snow and whatever the dogs let loose might spray up now and then). After the ride, we were taken over to a kennel where we got to meet actual puppies and have a little snuggle.
It was so interesting to see my research come alive. During the Alaska cruise season, I spent a lot of time thinking about and talking about the famous Iditarod race. I even went to Nome during our Legendary Arctic Circle cruise and got to see the Iditarod finish line! But meeting sled dogs and the mushers in person was a whole new layer of lived experience.
Soon enough, the thundering blades of an approaching helicopter let us know it was our cue to leave. Pilot Michelle took us a different route on the way back, so we were able to take in even more views of Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. It was an exhilarating afternoon, and still left time to grab food and walk around in Juneau afterward. If it’s part of your Alaska Bucket List to see sled dogs and get up close to a glacier, this excursion brings both front and center.
Happy mushing!
Xx Denae
*My job occasionally allows me to join cruise excursions as an escort. All opinions are my own 😉
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