Hanging out with Sled Dogs in Whitehorse

Muktuk Adventures is a holiday ranch and a dog sledding tour operation situated about 20 minutes north of downtown Whitehorse, YT. Muktuk is open year round to guests of all ages and interests.

The Muktuk Lodge and Kennels

You can visit Muktuk for an hour or stay for a week. They can find any number of ways to entertain you, from playing with the puppies, going for a river walk, learning all about the dogs from one of their interpretive guides or international volunteers, or enjoy a story-telling session with Frank Turner, owner and proprietor who won the Yukon Quest dog sledding championship in 1995.

The Muktuk dogs are lovingly named, usually in groups such as famous classical composers, jazz musicians or even Lord of the Rings characters; and all of the staff members help to look after them. Each dog has a file complete with health documentation, is routinely seen by a local veterinarian, given his or her own kennel and is carefully maintained over the course of his or her life on site with a balanced nutritional and exercise plan. What really impressed us is how friendly all of the dogs are. At the time we were there, there were over 130 dogs at the ranch, and there is not one of them that you could not walk up to for some friendly scrubbing. The dogs all get to live out their lives here, once they are retired from sledding they get to wander the property and lie around living the good life.

These dogs are all friendly

A 15 year old senior taking it easy

We opted for a half-day package that began with a pleasant greeting and talk with staff member Pascal Krebs. We were then served an awesome lunch, which entailed a delightful appetizer of elk and blueberry sausage served with a blueberry compote, as well as maple candied salmon. For the main course we were served bison burgers on homemade buns with a selection of toppings including fried mushrooms, bacon bits, tomatoes, pickles and onions. There was also a fresh salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. All delicious! If you ever go, make sure to ask for the local Yukon Brewery beer to go along with your meal.

Delicious Appetizers

Bison Burgers

After lunch we met with senior guide Jeff Larsen who began with a description of what they do at Muktuk and how they care for the dogs, then we went for a nice walk down to the Takhini River with 6 or 7 of the dogs, which are generally all team members. When they are let off their leads, watch out, these dogs move fast, do they love to run! While the dogs are regularly exercised in the off-season, they aren’t in training and they don’t work the dogs hard, as it is too warm for them. The optimum temperature for these dogs is -20ºC.

Jeff with a buddy

Sled Dogs on the move

Walking with the Dogs

Canoe along the banks of the Takhini River

Muktuk also offers canoeing adventures

Having fun with the Puppies

After the walk we gathered under a shelter for a talk on the Yukon Quest – a dog sledding race running almost 1000 miles from Whitehorse to Fairbanks, AK. Jeff explains all that is involved – the equipment needed and required, how the dogs are cared for and some discussion on the strategies some of the competitors use to win this grueling challenge as well as some interesting stories from past races.

Racing Sled & Lead. Up to 16 dogs and the lead dog may be 60′ in front of you!

Demonstration a Methyl Hydrate Stove

After that we gathered back at the lodge for some coffee and a dessert of homemade brownies and ice cream. All in all, it was a really fun adventure. We would love to come back during the winter and spend a day sledding with a team.