Snow Dogs ...

During our port of call in Skagway, we went on the musher's camp and sled dog excursion.









The van took us out to Dyea where the camp is and the sled dogs train for the iditarod by dragging tourists around on wheeled sled. (We opted for this one instead of the helicopter/glacier sled dog ride, partially because of the $300 per person price difference and partially because we really just wanted to play with some cute puppies.)























It's the first time I've ever done anything like it. It was pretty exhilirating and made me yearn to experience the real thing. (On a sled on the snow) The ride ended all too quickly though, I think it was only about 10-15 minutes.
















These dogs were atheletes, they were all so lean and very eager to run. Our romantic bubble from Snow Dogs and 8 Below were dashed as we learned that most of the competitive sled dogs are "Alaskan Huskies" which are mostly mixed breeds, bred for stamina and speed. (Unlike their Hollywood counterparts with their airbrushed faces and well-groomed furs.)


















After the ride, we had a chance to meet an ER doctor from Seattle who came here to live out his dream of sled dog racing. He told us about his first race this past year in the Iditarod. Here is my cousin trying on the parka that a racer would wear to keep warm. One fun little fact I discovered was that most of the stuff they wore were very warm, but not water proof. I felt a little dumb when he told me that the reason why they weren't water proof is because it is so cold, the snow and ice would not melt on the clothing. Here is my cousin Firmin in a parka:























And then came the funnest part of the afternoon. Playing with Puppies: