Tails of the Trails
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to raise, live with, train and run a team of sled dogs, this wonderfully personalized in the Goldstream Valley just nine miles from downtown Fairbanks was designed especially for you.
Hear a fascinating account from an experienced musher, the first woman to complete the Iditarod – the famous 1,049-mile Alaskan overland odyssey that takes participants from one end of the massive state to the other. You and your travel companions will be warmly welcomed by living legend, master storyteller, gracious hostess Mary Shields, who’ll walk with you through her garden, guide you through her winter camp and kennel, introduce you to her beloved family of hard-working huskies, then bid you inside her cozy log cabin for hot drinks, home-baked treats and relaxed conversation around her kitchen table.
Mary embodies the very spirit of wild adventure, inevitably winning hearts and encouraging return visits as she regales her guests with stories about her life in Alaska and her extensive time on the trail mushing through the snowy backcountry, including the grueling Iditarod experience and the incredible Yukon Quest, a 1,200-mile race through Siberia. You’ll come away from this unique and truly enriching “tour” of Mary’s 20-acre sanctuary in the boreal forest with a healthy respect for the beautiful but unforgiving North Country and the Alaskan state sport of dog mushing – and a few new friends!
