Since we were awake bright and early, we decided to grab breakfast at Cabanas and take a stroll in town. As we walked through Skagway, I was skeptical of my weather app reporting temperatures in the low 60s. Danny insisted it was cold that morning, but I was already shedding layers once we were off the ship. It felt so hot! The shade felt cool and breezy, but I was boiling in the bright sun. I was annoyed because I came to Alaska for a colder vacation. The universe always plays me.
We heard many people say this was unusual for Alaska. Here, I was worried I didn’t pack enough warm clothes as it can still be relatively cold in mid-May with temperatures in the 40s and 50s, but we could walk around with just t-shirts on. The town of Skagway is tiny, mostly filled with jewelry shops specializing in gold and tanzanite. I wasn’t interested in shopping, so we went to the helicopter pad close to our dock. Along the way, we found a bridge leading to hiking trails. It was much more relaxed by the water, giving me a break from the sun's heat. We couldn’t walk around much since we had to be on time for our excursion.
I booked this excursion through Alaskan Shore Excursions because the Port of Adventure through Disney had sold out before I even had a chance to book it. Being a costly activity in Alaska, I saved some money by not booking through Disney. Skagway was our longest day in any port during our cruise, docking at 7 am and sailing away at 8 pm. I felt confident in booking this excursion with a third party, knowing there was no way we’d miss our onboard time. Excursions with Disney are more expensive, but the ship will wait for you if your party happens to be late. Not making the onboard call time gives me nightmares. One of the Disney crew members graciously reminded us, ‘Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten, but not when it comes to this ship leaving the port. LOL.
Once we were close to our departure time and watched a few helicopters take off, we checked in with Temsco Helicopters and had our weight recorded. You can’t bring bags or backpacks on the helicopter, so they allow you to store your belongings in a locked cabinet. After watching a safety video and signing our lives away, we were provided snow boots that went over our actual footwear and a life jacket belt that could be deployed in an emergency. Next, we were arranged according to when we would enter the helicopter, as seating is based on weight distribution. Unfortunately, I was seated in the middle and wasn’t directly next to a window to record the journey with a clear view. I’m guessing it was because I was the most petite person in our group.
Once seated in the helicopter, the staff helped to buckle you in and put on your headset. They were all very friendly and informative during the whole process. Before I knew it, I was already in the sky, gliding above the water towards the mountains. Flying in a helicopter always seemed scary because you’re in such a small aircraft. To my surprise, it wasn’t terrifying at all. Despite having to sit in the middle, I still got stunning views of mountains upon mountains. I felt like I had to pinch myself and be reminded that what I saw with my eyes was REAL.
The flight was short, and we were on the Denver Glacier within ten minutes. I hopped out of the helicopter and sank into the powdery blanket of snow. I WAS ON A GLACIER. How many people can say they’ve walked on a glacier? It turns out it was not easy trodding through the snow with my little legs, especially since the warm sun was causing it to be less compact. As we made our way over to the huskies, I saw some of the tour attendants in either shorts or tank tops. Meanwhile, I was told it’s usually colder on glaciers, not on this day. I was sizzling in my many layers of clothing, impatiently waiting to get on the dog sled to feel the cool breeze through my body.
While we were chatting with our musher, the dogs were going wild! All you could hear was a chorus of energetic huskies barking. They get so excited knowing they’re about to run on the glacier. I thought it was so adorable that they loved their job so much. Each team has two sleds that get hauled by the Alaskan sled dogs. Everyone gets a chance to rotate seats and even drive the sled with the professional musher! I was initially apprehensive about driving the sled, even though it looked simple. Our musher scared me. He told us once the dogs take off running, they have a one-track mind, but as long as you keep both hands on the rails and both feet on the sled, you should be fine. However, our musher continued, saying, “No worries, if you fall off, it won’t hurt too much. Just dust yourself off and jump back on the sled.” lmao. I was like, WHAT?! He was messing with us, but I can’t be sure.
I told myself I would face my fears this trip and would not be timid this time. I was going to take a turn driving the sled. I didn’t know if I’d ever get to do this again, so I wanted to have the whole experience. Our musher was right; driving the sled was simple, mainly because he did most of the work. LOL. On my run, I was the one who had to do soft-breaking because of the upcoming turns. I think I got the hang of it pretty fast. Danny says I’m a professional dog sledder now. We had the opportunity to stop and take breaks to soak in the scenery. The tour guides advised us not to wander too far as the glacier is unsafe to walk on. You could accidentally step on a crevice and fall into another dimension. They access the glacier before deciding where to set up camp for the dog sledding season.
The scenery was stunning. You get a magnificent view of the snowy mountains of the Coast Range, which lies on the border of Alaska and Canada, between the Yukon and British Columbia territories. After our trip around the glacier concluded, we were allowed to pet all the dogs. These fur balls are so mushy and lovable. One of the dogs got his fur all over me, snuggling up against my legs for more attention. They seemed to love Danny as well. The saddest part of the excursion was having to say goodbye to these beautiful huskies. One of my main goals on this trip was to pet and love an Alaskan dog, and I did just that!
Like that, I was back in the helicopter on our way back to the docks. The flight this time was shorter than before, which made me sad. I wish the flight had been longer so I could have taken in the mountains a bit more. I did get a lovely view of the Disney Wonder as we landed back in Skagway. If you ever consider doing a dog sledding excursion in Alaska, bring sunglasses and sunscreen because the sun's glare from the snow is fierce! Since I am the fairest of them all, I put sunscreen underneath my makeup every day, but I still needed to mention this to Danny. He thought he was invisible but returned with a face as red as Snow White’s apple.
This was, by far, my favorite excursion on the entire vacation. I’m so happy I had this experience on my first trip to Alaska! If you’re planning a cruise to Alaska, I’d highly recommend dog sledding on a glacier if you have the means and love dogs. It was a dream to see these stunning creatures in their natural setting doing what they love to do. I’m planning my next trip to Alaska, and dog sledding on Mendenhall Glacier is already at the top of my list. Why not do it again on a different glacier in a different Alaskan town? A girl can only dream.
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