hut-to—hut Dog Sledding Expedition

It is estimated that visitors who stay in Fairbanks for three days have a 90% chance of viewing the northern lights. We maximize your chances with a 6 day, 5 night aurora tour scheduled during the darkest and most active skies of the year!

This dog sledding trip is perfect for anyone who wants to explore the Alaskan backcountry, sleep indoors, see the northern lights, and experience amazing scenery while spending most of the day with our Siberian Huskies.

This six day cabin-to-cabin trip travels a scenic trail through the remote, pristine wilderness of the White Mountains National Recreation Area. A Northern extension of the Rocky Mountains, the White Mountains are marked by rolling black spruce forest, rocky limestone cliffs, open river valleys, and mountain ridges adorned with mystical black granite tors. Stay at beautiful log cabins dotted at regular internals along the route.

6-Day Itinerary

Photo by https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campsites/99799

Day 1: Orientation Day

Location : 2218 Hattie Creek Road, Fairbanks, AK, USA

After breakfast at your accommodations, we will pick you up and bring you to the homestead to meet your guides and your new teammates: the dogs! We will go over gear, have a brief lesson on mushing, take a test dog sled ride through the boreal forest, and prepare our sleds for departure the next morning.

Lunch will be provided in between preparations and we will finish the evening with a relaxing dinner at Arctic Dog Adventure Co. After dinner, your guide will show you how to use your cold weather sleeping system and you will test your pad, bag & liner in the comfort of the ADAC lodge.

Accommodations: Shared accommodations at ADAC. No running water. Outhouse.
Milage: 5 miles.
Meals: Lunch and Dinner at Arctic Dog Adventure Co.

Photo by https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campsites/99862

Day 2: to the trailhead

After breakfast, we will load up the sled dogs and start the thirty minute drive to the trailhead, where we will unload gear, hook up our dog teams, and set off. The trailhead accesses the one million acre White Mountains National Recreation Area and its beautiful network of winter trails and log cabins. With an ocean of forest stretching hundreds of miles in either direction, we will follow ridge lines until we reach an expanse of burn — black spruce forest burnt up in a wildfire a decade ago. (7-16 miles).

This landscape is marked by candlestick-like tree trunks blackened by fire. The small vegetation that has grown up since the fire makes this area rich in wildlife: moose, grouse, ptarmigan, martin, and wolves. Limbless trees allow for good visibility in all directions.

We will pass up and over small hills and down through clumps of charmingly crooked black spruce forest before reaching an open expanse of meadow and tundra. The cabin is just above us, perched on a small bluff that overlooks the Moose Creek drainage. Once we reach the cabin we will tie the dogs out, build a fire in the cabin and enjoy the pleasure of a hot meal after miles of fresh air on our faces. The cabins are the ultimate Alaskan retreats. Remote, rustic, but beautifully crafted and warm, they are heated by large wood stoves, equipped with bunks, lanterns, table, benches and have ample room for gear and leg stretching.

Meals: Breakfast at Arctic Dog Adventure lodge, lunch on the trail, dinner at cabin.
Accommodations: Bunk in shared cabin.
Mileage: 16 miles

siberian husky expedition arctic dog adventure co Alaska

Day 3: Winter Wonderland

After breakfast for both humans and dogs, we will gear up, hook up, and head further down the trail. This day brings us deep into the White Mountains, with panoramic views of the ancient mountains revealed at certain twists. The trail traverses landscape particular to the Interior of Alaska, gently rolling hills comprised of forest and muskeg. We will follow rolling ridgelines of intermixed boreal forest and burn, watching the mountains slowly grow closer. Beaver Creek, a National Wild & Scenic River, snakes below us. We will make camp at scenic Crowberry Cabin. Crowberry Cabin is situated at the top of an exposed ridge, with 360-degree panoramic views of the horizon. The mountains are located to the northeast and east, leaving the northern horizon open for spotting low-lying aurora.

Meals: Breakfast in cabin, lunch on the trail, dinner at Crowberry Cabin.
Accommodations: Cabin.
Milage: 9 miles.

Northern Lights Expedition Alaska — Photo by ADAC

Day 4 - 5: Black Spruce Horizons

Each morning after coffee & breakfast, we will gear up, hook up our huskies, and head off. These day brings us further into the White Mountains, with panoramic views of the ancient mountains revealed at certain twists. The trail traverses landscape particular to the Interior of Alaska, gently rolling hills comprised of frosted forest and snowed over muskeg. We will follow rolling ridgelines of intermixed boreal forest and burn, watching the mountains slowly grow closer.

Accommodations: Cabin.
Milage: 10-20 miles.
Meals: Breakfast in cabin, lunch on the trail, dinner at camp.

Siberian Husky Mushing Tour — Photo by ADAC

Day 6: Return

Our last day on the trail. Today we climb up and down through the alpine forest, intermittently transitioning from black spruce forest to burn. If skies are clear, the Alaska Range will be visible in the distance. We will near the trailhead by late afternoon. You will feel a burst of energy in the dogs. They know they are almost to the truck! The final miles wind through a thick old alpine spruce forest forest unique to the Wickersham Dome region. The last mile is downhill and a bit bumpy. We will sweep into parking lot seemingly all of a sudden. After loading dogs and sleds into the truck, we will head back to the kennel to sort out gear before shuttling you back to your hotel in town.

Meals: Breakfast at cabin, lunch on the trail, dinner on your own.
Accommodations: You will need to arrange your own accommodations for this night.
Mileage: 10-20 miles.

** Please note that the Itinerary is subject to change. Due to the nature of our permitting process with BLM, there is no guarantee we will be able to secure the cabins mentioned here. Rest assured, every cabin in the Whites is a scenic delight!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you an adventurous soul? A dog lover? Do you love winter? Are you desirous of a closer connection to nature? Answer yes to any one of these? Then yes! This trip might be perfect for you!
No previous mushing experience is required. We will teach you everything you need to know to feel comfortable and equipped for your days on the trail.
That being said, dog mushing is a physical activity...from harnessing dogs to standing on the sled all day, you will need to be reasonably able-bodied in order to fully enjoy this experience. This five day trip goes deep into the heart of a wilderness area. Sections of trail are steep and technical. If you are hesitant about your ability to manage a dog team, please contact Lisbet & she will guide you through a series of questions designed to evaluate your abilities. You are probably better suited for this than you think.
You do not need previous experience with cold weather climates, but you will need to equip yourself with a proper set of winter base layers in order to ensure your comfort and safety. Even though it is spring in Alaska, weather and temperatures can still be harsh and unpredictable. We will provide you with a list of suggested & required gear -- your comfort is our utmost concern!

Photo by ADAC

Is this trip right for me?

Although the northern lights can be viewed in Fairbanks from August through April even at Kp0,* your chance of seeing the lights increases when the skies are clear. March, followed by April & February, are historically the months with the lowest precipitation in Fairbanks, meaning clear skies and good chances of spotting the aurora. The northern lights are caused by charged particles from the sun (solar wind) hitting the Earth’s magnetosphere. Around the equinoxes (fall and spring), the Earth’s axis is side-on to the sun, which happens to sync with the magnetic field of the solar wind. That means that during the equinoxes in March and September, charged particles are more likely to be accelerated down the field lines of Earth’s magnetosphere, causing the northern lights.**
*Kp is used to measure aurora strength.
**There is no guarantee we will see the northern lights. While regularly observed in Fairbanks, they are still an unpredictable natural phenomenon highly dependent on
weather and cloud cover. We can guarantee: good food, tasty snacks, amazing scenery, comfortable cabin accommodations and lots of time with our amazing huskies!
Photo by ADAC

When is the best time to see the Aurora?

**Yes.** You will drive and be responsible for your own small team of 4-6 dogs. On orientation day, your professional dog sledding guide will introduce you to your team, give you a lesson on how to drive the sled, and take you out on a short trip to practice your new mushing skills. You will learn how to harness a sled dog, and how to slow and stop your team. Your guide drives their own team just ahead of you, keeping an eye on the dogs, the trail, and your progress. **You will drive a dog sled all five days.**
**Photo by ADAC**

Will I drive my own dog team?

All-Inclusive

$5199/Person

INCLUDED

Pricing is all-inclusive. This means it includes travel to and from your hotel to Arctic Dog Adventure Co., meals, snacks, sleeping bags, pads, cold weather gear + accommodations.

✔ Dog mushing lessons

✔ Drive your own dog team

✔ Parka, snow pants, boots, mittens

✔ Cold-weather sleeping bags and pads

✔ Hotel/airport pickup and drop off

✔ Alaskan-inspired meals and snacks

✔ Basic photography instruction

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS

We can cater for some food allergies or vegetarians/vegans if you specify your dietary requirements on your Trip Registration Form.

NOT INCLUDED

Flights: You will need to book flights, details will be provided after you register.
Pre and Post Trip Hotel in Fairbanks
Insurance: You MUST have travel insurance. Instructions will be provided after you register.
Alcohol: Alcohol is not included in the price.

HOW TO BOOK

Simply click the SIGN-UP BUTTON in the footer below and register for the tour you will then be prompted to pay your $999 deposit which will guarantee your spot on the trip.

Your Balance Due must be paid 60 days prior to departure or your deposit will be forfeit.