dog sledding tours at earthsong lodge

Enveloping yourself in the vastness of the wilderness and pristine beauty of Alaska, must be done by dogsledding. I am a flight attendant and an adventure traveler, so my research attains obscure and accommodating adventures, inwhich EarthSong exceeded all expectations. In the beginning moments of the dogs howling and barking while being assigned to their sled, the adrenaline inside you starts to flow. The sound of the sleds gliding through the trails are relaxing, the graceful and enduring stride of the snow covered dogs is unexplainable, and the remote locations and grandeur of Alaska is at it's most pristine time of year. All of the guides are reputable and knowledgable from what I have read in other posts. Jason Reppert was our host for the expedition and I can only write about my experience with him as our guide. So here it goes... I flew off the sled (lol, a few times) and I didn't get hurt, but he was as patient as could be, with catching my dogs and making sure I was alright. 30 miles to the remote cabin inside of Denali Park and I survived! We secured the dogs, fed them and was able to cuddle with a couple of dogs while Jason cooked up some moose chili and we snacked on appetizers. Delicious!!! The storytelling was fantastic and we laughed a lot! We experienced the northern lights and threw boiling water in the air to watch it evaporate. When we woke up in the morning, the smell of reindeer sausage filled the air. (they will accommodate for any particular diet). We ate breakfast, packed up and headed back on the trail, just to experience it all over again. With all that being said, we felt safe, secure, and comfortable in knowing that if anything happened, he would be able to handle it. Amazing experience and I can't wait to go back and do it again! Angela

This is my return trip....My other half talked me into this expedition....5 days 4 nights....wow what a journey. Mike our host was unbelievable, the patience of a zen Buddhist monk, knowledgable, friendly and caring. The dogs are amazing, the scenery spectacular, the cabins warm and rustic, food warm and filling after a hard day in the cold. You need to be fit and tough as this isn't a walk in the park. I wasn't fit enough but I did tough it out and enjoyed the experience. Congrats to Denali Dogsledding for creating and continuing this amazing and rare opportunity.

Whether you go out for four hours or four days or more, this will be an experience that you will never forget. Our guide was Mike on a four day trip and he is excellent at what he does. Mike is patient, friendly and has a lifetime of sledding experience to draw from. There was not a moment that we did not feel safe and taken care of.The day trip is the equivalent of the training day for longer trips and is a relatively tame trip into some very beautiful tundra and woodland scenery.The longer trips are a bit more challenging in daily travel and conditions and I would recommend training (running) before hand. That said, I am 66 and handled it OK. The dogs are extremely friendly and love to run but beware as you help harness the team, you WILL be licked! Do this thing if you have the opportunity.

This belated review is due to revisiting photos from our 4 hour dogsled trip in January. We had 4 hours of daylight and the surroundings picturesque, the dogs were well loved and cared for and our guides truly love their life. If we can return we would do the overnight trip for sure. When they offer you the opportunity to drive the sled DO IT. Best experience.

When people asked why we went to Alaska in the winter, well, it was for the dogs! What a beautiful time to breath the Alaska air and experience the frozen and amazing countryside! Mike took us out for 4 days that we will never forget. This is a highly recommended activity and certainly go with these folks, they have all the equipment and experience to keep you safe, well fed, and the ride of your life!

We took a 4 hour dog mushing tour. It went through the tundra and alpine forest at Denali National Park, and the views are absolutely spectacular. The guides are friendly and will help you through the more difficult sections, but otherwise you get to drive the sled most of the time. They will outfit you with jackets and boots if needed, and some snacks are provided.

Just returned home to Ohio from the experience of a lifetime. Went dog sledding for five days with Earth Song Lodge and Dog Sled Expeditions. Could not have asked for a better host and guide then Jon Nierenberg. With His 15 plus years of living in the bush homesteading along with a long career of guiding dog tours and a Alaska National Park Ranger his knowledge and expertise could not have been beat. Besides that, he's one hell of a chef. Went into the trip thinking I would lose a few pounds but believe I actually gained weight. I would highly recommend this true Alaskan life experience to everyone. I definitely look forward to returning in the near future. Thanks for all the great memories Jon. Sincerely Greg Burnett Cincinnati Ohio

Just returned from a seven day trip led by Jon N and his assistant Mike S. This really was a trip of a lifetime for me. Jon and Mike did everything possible to keep us safe and comfortable. We were lucky to stay in cabins each night in the Denali Park which was extremely nice. The dogs are awesome! I wish I could have taken a couple dozen home with me. They are well trained, beautiful animals and are clearly well cared for. Make sure you ask plenty of questions during your training day, but you will definitely learn as you go. Overall, a fantastic experience!

EarthSong is a totally professional, safety oriented outfitter. The owner, Jon Nirenberg, goes the extra mile with every customer to understand their goals and to accommodate any special needs. Jon's knowledge of the area is deep and his access to special places off grid is extraordinary. I recommend this outfitter for enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels.

I came the 1st week in Feb. for the 3 day (overnight) dog-sledding trip. The conditions were bad the 1st 2 days (so hot that most of the snow had melted). Even so, I had a blast! Then the 3rd day, we had 8 inches of snow, big soft flakes. Awesome!! Like a rollercoaster, but you help to steer by how you lean & use the brake. The dogs just live to run, so much enthusiasm! And Mike, my guide, was very patient w/ my attempts to harness the dogs (got it right eventually). I felt totally safe; he has so much experience and is very easy to talk to. I was also able to meet JJ and Jaime, 2 other musher/ guides that wanted to follow along to see the conditions, as they had groups of their own in the next couple of weeks. (We must have had 25-35 dogs in the yard in front of the cabin- LOL!) I found their conversation very enjoyable, full of stories of life in Alaska and dogmushing. The cabin was super warm, and the bed was comfortable. The scenery is incredible! Tundra, huge mountains w/ the evening light reflecting off the snowcaps, pine forests w/ snow shrouding the branches, frozen lakes and, closest to the cabin, a frozen river. The packing list was right on target. They provide the padded oversuit, work gloves and overmitts. I only had to use the heat packs for my hands & feet on the day it snowed, otherwise was never too cold. The dogs are the best part. They are smaller than I had anticipated, being a mix of breeds, approximately 40- 50 lbs each. Each has his or her own way of barking, some of them almost trilling. With the brake firmly anchored in the snow, as they are put in harness, they get more and more excited. The noise level rises, and they leap into the air-- wanting to go, Go, GO!! They are quite endearing, and I wish I had brought a recorder with me to catch their chorus. They are very friendly, and love to give you doggie kisses :) When the trip was over, I found myself trying to calculate how soon I could come back-- next time for a longer trip. (Sadly probably not until next year..) Hopefully, Mike will be available to be my guide again! I highly recommend EarthSong Lodge if you are ever considering dog sledding! They will teach you everything you need to know, and you will have an incredibly fun adventure!! Sincerely, Lara T.

Our family of five went with Jon and four other guides (each of us with our own dog team) on a beautiful, sunny and cold December day. It was the best day of our trip to Alaska.The day started with major mishap; we were driving from Fairbanks and missed the sign to the lodge in the scant morning light. BEWARE -GPS indicated that we are on the right road, with 2.1 miles still to go! We have not noticed where the snow-covered road ended, and we continued straight on the snowmobile/dog sled track. After 200 m, our SUV skidded, and we just sunk on the side of the road where the snow crust broke under the car. We called Jon, and he and another guide came promptly to our rescue. It took nearly 2 hours of concerted efforts of 7 people, in frigid cold, to dig out our car and get it back on the road. Jon told us that if the temperatures were higher, we would never get out of the snow. Frozen crust saved us.Thus saving our day, Jon arranged for the other guides. Then he outfitted us for the cold weather. We had our Canada Goose parkas and Baffin Boots, but we chose to be on the safe side and took snowsuits, boots and over-mitts provided by Jon. I am glad we did, because the day was very, very cold. Our daughter was wearing Jon's snowsuit over all the layers that included her own ski pants and parka.Waiting for the other guides and their dog teams, we played with the dogs at the kennels for a while; they were so friendly and so eager to go! Shortly after, we took off. We changed places with our guides behind the sleds as we went, taking the opportunity to mush our dog teams. We went through boreal forest, low pine trees with huge snow caps, and then we crossed a frozen lake. Mount Denali was visible far on the horizon, and mountain peaks around us were bathed in eerily pale light that turned pink in the afternoon. The beauty of the landscape and the vastness of the empty space simply overwhelmed us. There were no people and no life, just the white land, white silence, us and our dogs. We'll never forget the feeling.Our guides-mushers were wonderful and told us interesting stories about their life in Alaska. Surprisingly, the majority of them were not Alaskan-born, but came from different places, one as far as Switzerland. One of the mushers, a park ranger, was training her dogs for Iditarod.We are very grateful to Jon for saving us and our day and for treating us to this wonderful Alaskan adventure. We highly recommend EarthSong dog rides; you cannot do better than with Jon!

Interesting to see the sled dogs, they like the attention. Too hot to run the dogs so just had the opportunity to get close to the dogs.

Totally best Experience yet.. I would recommend Earth Song Lodge on your next Denali adventure. I did not stay in the room, but had the best Dog Mushing experience ever, totally well worth the price. I give it two thumbs up.

My cousins and I went mushing on March 8th with 3 awesome mushers. The trip was one of the best experiences of my life. The connection with the dogs and each one of their personalities was great to be around. Denali national forest is breathtaking. The scenery, dogs, and people were wonderful. Thank you to Jon, JJ, and Andy for making an experience like this possible. Also, thanks for the hot chocolate!

We did not stay at the cabin but we spent a lovely four hours with Jon's team. This was one of the best experiences of my life. Jon, JJ, and Andy are awesome and treat their dogs with a lot of respect. The dogs are very friendly and are so excited to take you for a ride. All of the guides gave us excellent advice on what activities to do and restaurants to eat at during our stay in Fairbanks. If you are ever near Healy, AK I highly suggest you get in contact with EarthSong Lodge. The 170 mile drive from Fairbanks was well worth it! Thank you!!!!