Dog Mushing at Happy Trails Kennel
by Emma Corby
Emma’s Rating: 😎😎😎😎😎
This isn’t necessarily a hike, walk, or run, but it is definitely an epitome of a “true Alaskan experience”… Last weekend, I had a friend visiting me in Eagle River from Southern California – I had never been dog mushing before, so we looked into it. Happy Trails Kennel, in Wasilla, had openings for a dog mushing tour. We chose the 2:30 PM option so that we could watch the sunset from the sled, and it was perfect.
Before we arrived, we were worried about not having warm enough gloves or hats or pants… When we got there, they had all the gear we needed. Plus, hand warmers, which ended up being more essential than I thought they’d be. It wasn’t really cold outside, but on a dog sled, we were going to have ten mile per hour winds coming at us, so it was best to be prepared.
Happy Trails Kennel is about an hour away from Eagle River, so we left early to give us enough time to get situated. I am so happy we did. When we got there, there were not only about sixty sled dogs waiting to greet us, all at their own little sheds, but three twelve-week-old puppies in a pen. We were encouraged to roam around and say hi to all the dogs, and while we were, the previous tour came in. Twelve dogs, all smiling and giddy from their run, came into the kennel. They knew exactly where to go and wait to be untied from their harnesses. Immediately, all the other dogs started barking and howling, because they knew another sled was going to be taken out. They all wanted to go!
The four of us all fit on one sled; my friend laid in front, leaning on my legs as I sat directly behind her, and Ben stood behind me as our guide drove the sled behind him. As we rode about seven miles around the kennel, our guide talked to us and told us all sorts of stories about the dogs. Chad was his name, and he competed and completed the Iditarod in both 2021 and 2022; in 2021, he won the Rookie of the Year award, and last year, he not only finished seventh overall, but also won the Most Improved award. It was surreal to hear about his experiences.
Chad stopped the sled a few times during the tour to take photos, and while he was, it was clear that the dogs knew him and loved him. As Ben stood on the brake of the sled, the dogs would jump up and down, ready to get back to running – some of those dogs can jump high. Chad said that sometimes, he’ll take the dogs out at dark and ride around with his headlamp, enjoying the silence of nighttime. All three of us, who had never been on or even near a dog sled, were so enthralled in the experience that the two hour tour seemed to only last ten minutes. When we got back to the kennel, the barking and howling started again, with dogs jumping and twirling and running back and forth, waiting for attention.
If you have the chance this winter, get out and get on a dog sled; being on that sled was unlike anything I have ever done before in my whole life. And honestly, how many people can say that they’ve been dog mushing?
