kayakthearkansas
Jul 2022
There are some experiences in life that are truly indescribable. We had just that type of experience with Alaska Helicopters tour of Dallas Seavy’s glacier dog camp. The weather was clear initially when we made our ascent to the glacier; however, the ceiling dropped quickly. We are used to those fast moving weather events as we live in the Rockies and our pilot was very cautious in proceeding up the face. The clouds parted just enough to clearly see our destination and we were able to set down. Just as quickly as those clouds parted, the ceiling closed right back up. We were going to be on that glacier for a while.
Dallas Seavy has hired the dream team of Ben,Devin,Jessica,Emily and Hannah to care for his race dogs as well as his guests. We honestly had no idea what to expect and that is when the unexpected made this experience a wonderful journey. Ben assured us that no matter what the weather was going to dish out that we would have a great time. We were introduced to our guide Devin and his smile when talking about the dogs and his team members automatically set the tone for our visit. We felt like family for our stay. We were introduced to the dogs and believe me those dogs wanted to run. These are not fluffy blue eyed pups, Dallas has a team of fast, sleek and muscled racing dogs. There were about 40 dogs training up on the glacier and a handful of pups learning socializing skills.
The dogs looked confused when they only saw one helicopter as they all wanted a turn on the sled. When Devin hooked up our team, there was a howl that emanated from those left behind. Devin had the lead sled and instructed us how to use the practice sled. He explained the art of running a sled and most importantly how to stop when instructed. Those dogs sailed over the course and halfway through Devin stopped so we could switch places. We wished we could have stayed out there longer but the winds picked up and it was flat out snowing. When we arrived back in camp, Ben greeted us as Devin took care of the team.
Ben told us the weather wasn’t cooperating and how did we feel about soup? We felt terrible as we are campers and know it is a true sacrifice to use someone else’s resources. We assured him that we were fine but he invited us into the crew kitchen. The hut is spartan but the crew made it feel very homey. On one wall was a chore board, everyone pulled their weight up there on that glacier.Honestly, we would have insisted on seeing our names up there if the weather didn’t lift. Anyway, we did have some soup with the crew and just enjoyed the company of new found friends. About an hour later, the sky cleared enough for us to return to Knik River Lodge.
We can’t say enough about the professionalism of our pilot Steven and Dallas Seavy’s crew up there on the glacier. The experience would have been memorable enough on its own if everything had gone right but I think it is when things don’t go as expected that shows the true character of an organization. Congratulations Dallas, you have another winning team!