Alpine Air Alaska — Attraction in Alaska

This was our first excursion in AK and maybe our favorite. We had 4 adults and 3 kids, ages 5, 8 and 9. It was really fogging that morning and got thicker and worse as our afternoon helicopter ride to Punch Bowl Glacier for true dog sledding was approaching. We called and they said no problem since it was sunny at the top of the mountain. The helicopters sit 4 including the pilot so they made 3 trips for us. First off the staff at the airport were super friendly and had really great waterproof apparel of all sizes for all ages. It's OK to bring your own which I did but they put waterproof shoes over my hiking boots which I was glad to have. Now we probably over dressed, had too many layers on since it warm at the top, so if they say it's sunny on top, I would say one warm layer then waterproof layer will do it. They even have gloves which you will want and possibly a beanie which we all took off. So as they help all get dress they tell you about things then you go out and they instruct you how to get in and out of the copter. Then you take this awesome ride over the rain forest up over the mountain peaks you see from the ground then through a couple of peaks to where you best have your sunglasses on cause it's blinding bright as the glacier comes into view. On the ride over the mountains look close you may see some mountain goats. All our jaws dropped and we had huge smiles as the the mountain peaks and glacier came into view. As we landed, all the dogs are there resting. The kids went nuts and got to pet all them they even laid down besides them, petting them. It was hard to get them up for the sledding. We had 2 young women as mushers who told us about the dogs, their names and that they are in training. The staff on top of the glacier were equally as nice and helpful, fun to get to know and how they live and came to be there. Then they let the kids help hook the dogs up and unhook at the end of our sledding on this icy glacier. We rode on the sled for a short distance, stopped to let the dogs rest about 3 times. During these times we had snowball fights and made snow angels and had a blast. Upon returning they let us play and pet 3 puppies not yet weaned from their momma. Also one of the staff was taking photos the whole time and they will give those to you for free. The price tag is very expensive per person and child but it's more of the real deal then so called sledding with a vehicle with wheels. It was totally worth it for each of us. You also can leave gratuity for the staff on the glacier if have cash or down at the small airport upon return when you pay for this amazing experience. Not the staff's are 2 different businesses, you can direct them to share the gratuity and split with all or give 2 different ones and believe me you will be happy to...

The heli/dogsled adventure was unbelievable! Just got home and can't stop talking about it and looking at all our pictures and video. It was raining the day of our tour so we weren't sure how that was going to affect our experience. Besides being a little colder from getting wet it really didn't take away from it at all. In fact, because there were light clouds and mist, it made the ascent to the glacier feel a little more mysterious. Seeing the dog camp set up in the middle of nowhere was surreal. And jumping out of the helicopter under the moving rotors made me feel like I was in an action movie.

Everyone at camp--humans and dogs--were so friendly and welcoming. It's amazing that they stay up there for months! The ride on the sled was more rigorous than expected (in a great way!) The terrain was not perfectly flat like I had envisioned and there were a series of dips and hills we quite literally flew over. I was up front on the princess seat and had a blast holding on! I did get pelted from the rain and was absolutely soaked at the end of it all, but it was so worth it!! Getting to go in rain/overcast did not take away from this experience at all. Made it seem more rugged to be exposed to the elements.

I don't know how many people can say they've gotten to ride in a dog sled, but I'm thrilled to be in that club. This experience is in the top 5 of coolest things I've done.

And let's not forget about the staff on the ground and in the air. Everyone there is a pleasure to talk to and are so helpful. The office staff get you all geared up and ready to go and the pilots were knowledgeable about the surroundings. Leading up to the big day, I had multiple staff members follow-up to confirm everything, make sure we had transportation out there, etc. They have a great team. I would love to book another tour with Alpine Air...

What an amazing experience! The girls who work there are the nicest people ever and so helpful with every step of the journey. Welcoming smiles greet you at the door then they help with getting you ready to fly and ready to be on the glacier. After they help you find the right size boots and snow gear you are off to take some photos around the helicopter and a safety demonstration. They keep safety at the forefront and the fun just doesn’t stop. The pilots were both great and kept safety first and have plenty of experience. Once you take off you will see breathtaking views of the area before heading over the mountains into the glacier. Once you touch down you’re off into the snow to greet the dog handlers/sled Captian’s. All 3 were amazing and super knowledgeable about all things dog sledding and about the dogs themselves, so whether you’re more interested in learning about dog sledding or you just want to hang out and pet the dogs they help you every step of the way. After saying hi to the pups it’s off to sled! You get pulled behind the sled for quite a distance and take a few stops for photos in the unreal backdrop of mountains and glaciers. After we came back to the dog camp it was time to play a little more with the pups until the helicopter comes to pick us up. Watching the helicopter land and us walking up to it is like a movie. The. Back off over the mountains to the airport with amazing views. 10/10 experience and the crews made every minute...