Dogsledding is in general not very difficult to master as the dogs do most of the work! We usually say that if you can go cross-country skiing or bowling, you should be fine on a dogsled. It really is the reason why dogsledding’s popularity is growing so exponentially – you can enjoy a seriously authentic experience in the pristine wilderness without being an uber-athlete. The youngest guest we have had visit was eight, the eldest celebrated her 90th birthday!
Our sled dogs trot at an average speed of 8 – 12 miles per hour. This means that unless they are going very slowly up a steep hill you need to stay on the sled as you would be unable to keep up with the dogteam for very long. On long uphills, you may need to get off and help the dogs but at that moment the dogs will be walking not running and keeping up should not be a problem. If you can bend down to pull your snow hook out of the snow, and you have a rudimentary sense of balance you should be fine.
Our trips are specifically designed to provide a progressive learning experience. You begin the week mushing on very easy trails, and take on more challenging terrain as your dogsledding skills improve. Most guests are amazed at their skill level by the end of the trip. As well, if you ever feel you are going too fast, our dogs are so well trained that you can simply unhook a dog or dogs from the gangline and they will “heel” running free behind your sled!
Our Alaskan Husky dogs are some of the friendliest in the world. We sleep with the puppies to “imprint” on them to the point that they think of us as their natural parents. We then raise them with children so that they are incredibly socialized. Our system works so well that we are one of the only kennels we know of that has insurance to allow close to 10,000 summer visitors to enter our dogyard and pet and hug any of our dogs! We have hundreds of hours of training invested in each dog. They are so well trained that we can have 200 visitors sitting six feet outside the dog yard and our dogs are completely quiet until we give the ok and the guests go into the yard at which time the dogs enthusiasm becomes pretty apparent as they vie for attention from all our guests. The dogs are also trained with a control mechanism that allows any guest to say the cue words “up we go” and the dogs jump up onto the roof of their house and sit quietly allowing themselves to be hug, smooched and photographed In fact, our dogs are so socialized that when you join us for a dogsledding adventure you can even choose a dog from the yard or your team to come into your cabin and sleep on your bed!
We provide all the arctic outer wear and equipment you will require to stay warm and cozy during your stay with us. We provide a huge expedition down parka with a fur ruff, insulated overalls, mukluks, insulated overmitts, a musher’s hat with ear flaps, an insulated water bottle, an arctic headlamp and hollowfill booties to wear in the cabins and yurts. Guests on camping trips also receive an extra thermos, and a double bag sleeping system with winter camping sleeping pads to ensure a warm and comfortable sleep.
This means the few main items you need to bring are long underwear, a windproof layer and a fleece jacket and pants. Everything you are required to bring is outlined in our winter clothing system list which may be found on the website. Just click on “Planning your trip” and then “What to bring and wear”.
All meals, accommodation, equipment, including your personal dogsled, sleddogs, camping equipment where appropriate, guiding services, taxes and flights that occur after you arrive in Whitehorse are included. Airfare to Whitehorse, gratuities and extra alcoholic beverages are not included.
Whitehorse has an International airport so getting here is extremely easy. There are three airlines that service Whitehorse:
Air North
The Yukon’s airline owned and operated by Yukoners and renowned for some of the best service, lowest prices, great meal service and generous and reliable baggage service in the North. Flights connect from Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton.
Air Canada
Canada’s largest carrier. Multiple flights connect from Vancouver only on a daily basis.
Condor Airlines
This is a direct flight form Frankfurt Germany, three times a week during the summer months. It is a great way to get here form Europe!
Holland America Lines
The largest cruise line providing cruise trips to Skagway, Alaska and land excursions thru the Yukon and Alaska. We can pick you up in Skagway if you wish to include the famous ‘Inside Passage” cruise itinerary with a wilderness experience with Uncommon Journeys.
If you can afford the time, we recommend you arrive at least one day before the start of your trip in the winter. This allows for a day of browsing through the town, shopping, and visiting museums etc. It also gives you a day in case of any luggage complications. That said, we always begin all of our winter trips with a day trip right at the Homestead so that folks can get used to their dogteam on very easy trails. This ensures that if your luggage were a day late and you arrived the day of the trip we can provide you with everything you need to enjoy the first day comfortably until your luggage arrives. At the end of the trip we can get you to the airport on the Saturday afternoon of the last day of the trip so you can depart that day if need be. Some of our guests find that to be a little hectic and as such they stay in Whitehorse in a hotel the last night, flying out the next morning on Sunday. If you are interested in adding on a longer vacation option just email us and we will be glad to provide some advice and options to extend your stay in our beautiful Territory!
We always recommend that our guests stay at either the High Country Inn or the Best Western Goldrush Inn. Both hotels provide great service at a reasonable price and are conveniently located right downtown. They also are the only hotels to have a consistent airport shuttle service.
We definitely recommend travel insurance that will reimburse you if an illness or accident prevents you from going on your vacation. We recommend medical insurance that provides for getting you home and any emergency services required while in the Yukon as well.
Absolutely. Just email us with your specific dietary requirements and we will do everything possible to accommodate your request and ensure that your dining experience is outstanding.
We love children! Families make up a growing segment of our guests. In fact father/son and mother/daughter combinations are increasingly joining us to celebrate a graduation, birthday or spring break!
For the Aurora Classic, Yukon Quest and Tombstone trips, the minimum age is 12 years old and we provide the following discounts:
- Children between the ages of 12 and 15, who will be staying in the same accommodation as their parents and sharing a sled, receive a 20% discount but do not receive early booking discount as well.
- Children aged 16 and older are charged full fare.
On custom river trips the minimum age is 8 years old and we provide the following discounts:
- Children aged 8 to 10 receive a 30% discount.
- Children aged 11 and older are charged full fare.
