It’s definitely the quintessential thing to do in Alaska. Go dogsledding. I’ve been wanting to do this since moving to “The Last Frontier.” When I made the reservations before Christmas break, I saw they offered a package deal with ice fishing, too! I was sold and signed up for ice fishing in the morning and then dogsledding in the afternoon. Originally, three of my coworkers were going. However, Craig and Stephanie were both sick and had to back out at the last minute.
Martin, the kindergarten teacher, and I arrived at Snowhook Adventures Guides of Alaska around 9:30. Fortunately, the drive up from Anchorage was really nice. The 2025 winter in the Anchorage area has been unusual with hardly any snow.
We arrived at Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska about 30 minutes early because if you’re not early, you’re late. (That’s my philosophy, not Martin’s.) We had to wait while a large Russian group got checked in.
The lovely woman who checked us in actually taught in an Alaskan village up north for many years. Mary Ann’s now retired from special education and gets to check in adventure-seeking teachers from the Arctic.
Snowhook provides you with your cold weather gear, all the way down to your snow boots. I “thought” I was prepared because, after all, I live above the Arctic Circle. However, I underestimated how cold it was going to be on the frozen lake.
Our two guides boarded us up in a van with a Midwest family of four to begin our ice fishing adventure. We traveled down some beautiful, winding, snowy roads for about 15 minutes before reaching Vera Lake.
We had to walk about a quarter of a mile to reach the fishing huts. Along the way, I couldn’t stop taking pictures. The sun was just starting to rise, and it was all so picturesque. The group actually left me behind several times, but I didn’t care. I arrived to find two huts in the middle of the ice and everyone way ahead of me. If you look the the second picture above, you’ll see what’s called hoar frost.. or maybe it’s rime ice. I’m not sure which one. They are both forms of frost that develop on cold surfaces when water vapor in the air freezes. Now you know.
One of the guides, Tony, drilled the holes for us inside our heated tent. (I think he had to drill down about a foot. Or maybe it was two?) The bait was a shrimp covered in a salmon egg mixture. One of the guides stayed with us in the heated tent, and the other one stayed with the Midwest family. We dropped our lines down about 14 inches before jiggling it up and down.
Now, I should let you know I don’t really like catching freshwater fish. I’m much more of a saltwater fisher. I don’t have time for the dainty little nibbles of fresh water creatures. Personally, I like to know the fish it on my line, but that’s just me. 🤷♀️
Anyway, I probably lost my bait 3 times. So that means there WERE fish under the layers of ice. However, Martin and I were too busy asking Tony from Ketchikan a million and one questions to feel the nibbles. I guess it wasn’t meant to be because no one in our group landed a rainbow trout, Arctic char, or pike. But that was okay. Everyone knows, you are never guaranteed a fish..unless it’s a stocked pond. Before we left, we saw a hint of the dogsledding ahead. However, this one was unique because the dog team was pulling a running snow machine. (By the way, most Alaskans say snow machines, not snowmobiles.)
We drove back to the headquarters and were treated to a hearty meal of chili from the crockpot, rolls, and cookies for dessert. The chili was GREAT! We also got a chance to warm up from our time on the frozen pond. It was warm in the tent, but my feet did get a little cold.
I have these Arctic Muck Boots and LOVE them!
I had on my Arctic Muck boots, and my feet have NEVER gotten cold in the village. In fact, they are still one of my best purchases here in the Arctic. They’re light-weight, easy to travel with, and are super warm. If I would have known how cold it was on the icy lake, I would’ve worn double wool socks, and it would have been just fine. However, I just couldn’t get my feet warmed up. I told the very kind people at the lodge, and they gave me bunny boots! Yes, bunny boots. 🐰 I thought maybe they had warm rabbit fur inside. Nope. Maybe it’s the shape of them? 🤷♀️ Check out the link below and see for yourself. Bottom line? Bunny boots are the bombdiggity. Buy Bunny Boots Here
Anyway, we were able to go and meet the dogs who would be pulling us. One of them was a descendant of the world famous Balto. Click on the link below to read how the canine helped save many people’s lives by delivering diphtheria serum to remote villages in Alaska in 1925. (There’s a statue of him in NYC’s Central Park.)
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race started about 50 years later and honors the mushers and their dogs. The Last Great Race starts in Willow, where we went dog sledding. The race continues for 1,000 miles, ending up in Nome. Side note: One of the elders in our village had an uncle who raced in the Iditarod. I think that is so incredible.
After petting all the dogs, we got in the puppy kennel and played with the precious pups. One of them ended up nipping my finger and drew a bit of blood. While looking at my finger, a naughty little puppy took my glove and dragged it back to his puppy enclosure. One of the guides had to lift the lid to retrieve it. (If you knew the problems I have keeping up with my gloves, you would appreciate this more.😂)
On the dogsledding adventure, one person rides in the front part of the sled, and the other person stands on the rails in the back. As the person sitting in the front, all you have to do is lean every once in a while to prevent the sled from tipping over. Other than that, I got to just soak in the spectacular scenery, hear the joyful yelps of the dog team, and record some of the magical ride. A little more than halfway in, I got a chance to ride on the rails in the back. Knowing what I know now, I would be in the back the entire time.
Martin had to run up some of the hills while riding in the back while my ride on the back was all downhill. (Sorry, Martin.) It was INCREDIBLE, indescribable, magical, and all the other wonderful adjectives you can throw at it. For me, it was the rush of going downhill, feeling the cold (very cold) wind on my face, seeing the snowy scenery rush by, and so much more. When you combine all the sensory elements together, it’s pretty much perfect. Oh, and did I mention the snow-laden trees? I just can’t express the joy I felt in that moment.
All too soon, the sun was disappearing, and it was time to go. I give Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska a 10 out of 10. The ice fishing and dogsledding combo (with lunch) was just $240 dollars, and I thought it was very reasonable. They also offer snowmobile rides, Northern Light tours and a ton to do in the summer. If you are ever near Anchorage, you should go experience this yourself. Be sure and tell them Kendra from Tex-Aska sent you.
https://snowhookadventures.com
Our guides were all awesome. A special shoutout to the couple who are both mushers and live in a yurt! How cool is that? They are former teachers. I know they miss their students, but you can see the joy in their eyes over their decision to work with dogs. And don’t you just love the proud look on the lead dog’s face below?
Oh, there’s one more thing I forgot to mention. The reason they call their business Snowhook is because that’s what mushers use when they’re racing the dogs and need to stop. It’s a way to make sure your sled dogs don’t leave you in the middle of the tundra or in the middle of the Iditarod Race. You can see the two hooks in the picture below. The snowhooks are beneath the howling dogs and circle the name of the company.
I’m coming back, Snowhook, I promise. ❤️
Writing With Polar Bears 
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