Our Life

We’ve officially started establishing our dog sledding camp on Godwin Glacier for the 2025 season! Today, we took advantage of beautiful weather and flew load after load up to the glacier using a long line and helicopter. We’re feeling lucky to have several more clear days in the forecast and are getting excited for tours to begin soon.

Setting up a remote glacier camp is no small feat — it takes over 15 loads of gear to build out everything we need for the season. From dog sleds to our kitchen and outhouse, everything that makes our camp function is flown up in the spring and brought back down at the end of summer.

Today’s setup went smoothly, and we even got the initial dog posts installed. One thing we’re especially proud of at our kennel is how we prioritize our dogs’ well-being. After years of observing and testing, we’ve found that our sled dogs are happiest with wooden dog houses. That means our next big task is assembling all of those houses on the glacier — a labor-intensive job, but totally worth it for our four-legged teammates.

We’re incredibly proud of our crew and how everyone has come together to kick off the season strong. Check out our meet the crew section to learn about our team.

Stay tuned — more updates to come!

Another Season is About to Begin!

We’re gearing up for another exciting summer on Godwin Glacier! Right now, we’re deep in preparations for setting up our remote glacier dog sledding camp. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into making this experience possible.

This year, we had some welding done to reinforce the platforms we use for our kitchen building and guest quarters. We also outfitted them with elevated skis to make towing them behind a snowmachine easier. Life on a glacier is constantly changing — with the snow always melting and shifting, it’s important that everything stays mobile. Elevating the platforms helps prevent them from sinking into the snow and makes moving them around much smoother.

Another project on our to-do list is painting our dog houses. While it’s not required, we always paint our dog houses white. The white paint reflects sunlight, helping to keep the houses cooler for the dogs and slowing down the snowmelt around them — both important for keeping the dogs comfortable throughout the season.

We’ve also started staging our gear in preparation for when the helicopter arrives. If all goes well with the weather, our first tours on Godwin Glacier will kick off on May 13! Early season always brings unique challenges — in May, there’s still so much snow and so little contrast, making it very bright out there.

We’re excited to be heading back to Godwin Glacier for another summer of adventure! We’ve been operating tours here since 2013 and feel honored to be part of so many memorable Alaskan vacations.

Once we are done with setting up the glacier, we will transition to getting the kennel ready for visitors. We can’t wait for the 2025 season to begin.

Curious what life is like at our glacier dog sledding camp? Learn more about it here!

Want to know what it’s like to take a glacier dog sledding tour? Find all the details here!

Our trip to Kauai was such a blast. How lucky are we to get to go to such an amazing place with our family. Thank you Grandpa! We wrapped up our final days relaxing at the beach and by the pool, savoring some of the island’s incredible local food — from fresh sushi to delicious meals from food trucks. It was really great watching Elias with all of his cousins. He really enjoyed all the attention that being “the baby” entailed. Whether he was digging in the sand, blowing bubbles with his cousins, playing in the pool, or s jumping on the air mattress, Elias had fun. He is at such a wonderful age where everything is fun and exciting — and he has such contagious happiness that he is a real joy to be around.

While in Kaua’i, I also celebrated a personal milestone: reaching 400 consecutive days of reading! So far this year, I’ve read 23 books. Last year I finished over 75 books! Some of my recent standouts include:

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar
• Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (on Audible)
• The Bridge Kingdom series by Danielle L. Jensen
• What Comes of Attending the Commoner’s Ball by Elisabeth Aimee Brown
• The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst
• The Aurelian Cycle by Rosaria Munda
• The Let Them Theory by Mel Robins (I’m a big Mel Robins fan!)

I primarily enjoy reading fantasy novels, but I also mix in non-fiction books on business, life, and personal growth. I aim to read at least 10–15 minutes each day. At this point, I read almost exclusively ebooks due to sheer volume and ease. I primarily read on a kindle paperwhite but also use the kindle app on my phone quite a bit.

So what’s my trick? In general, I actually don’t go on social media all that much. I limit myself to a maximum of 30 minutes a day across various platforms, unless I am doing something work related. I’ve found it is SO easy to get sucked down a rabbit hole of watching reels (I refuse to do TikTok!) and, in the end, I am not sure I ever “feel” better after binging on it. But, I do feel better when I read. I have a love/hate relationship with social media so for me limiting my use is fairly easy but I totally get why people like to do it.

I still enjoy a good scroll session and, when I am online, it’s usually to look at Booktok to help me find a new read. If it’s on booktok and it’s fantasy, chances are I’ve read it. When I can, I also listen to audiobooks but that’s gotten harder now with Elias as I try to listen to things that are more age appropriate for him.

I’m always on the lookout for good book recommendations, so if you have a favorite to share, please feel free to message me!

We found out when we were in Nome for the Iditarod finish that we drew permits to visit the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary again this summer, and we are beyond thrilled. We went in 2021 and it was the trip of a lifetime. It is easily one of the coolest things Travis and I have ever done together. Also cool? One of the guides, Jason was a big Turning Heads Kennel fan. He only had 2 cotton t shirts and guess what? One of them was a Turning Heads Kennel shirt. How cool and how random is that?

What is the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary?

For those unfamiliar, McNeil River is a remote sanctuary in Alaska that hosts one of the world’s largest concentration of brown bears. Access is highly restricted—only 10 people per day are allowed during peak season, and permits are awarded through a competitive lottery. You can learn more about the lottery or consider applying on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website.

Types of Permits You can Draw for McNeil

At the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Alaska, two primary types of permits grant access to the sanctuary’s renowned brown bear viewing opportunities: Guided Viewing Permits and Camp-Standby Viewing Permits. Both are allocated through a competitive lottery system managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. 

🐻 Guided Viewing Permits

Guided Viewing Permits provide holders with guaranteed access to the sanctuary’s main bear viewing areas, such as McNeil River Falls and Mikfik Creek, during a specified 4-day period between June 7 and August 25. Permit holders are accompanied by Department of Fish and Game personnel during daily excursions to observe the bears. A total of 185 Guided Viewing Permits are issued annually through the lottery. The permit fee is $225 for Alaska residents and $525 for non-residents, in addition to a nonrefundable $30 application fee.

🏕️ Camp-Standby Viewing Permits

Camp-Standby Viewing Permits allow holders to stay at the sanctuary’s campground and explore nearby areas, such as the beach seaward of the campground. While these permits don’t guarantee access to the primary bear viewing sites, holders may have the opportunity to fill vacancies in guided bear viewing sessions if Guided Viewing Permit holders do not utilize their permits. A total of 57 Camp-Standby Permits are issued each year. The permit fee is $112 for Alaska residents and $262 for non-residents, plus the $30 application fee.

We Drew Camp Standby Permits

While we drew “camp standby permits” it’s still a great opportunity to experience some really beautiful country and, hopefully, do some really cool bear viewing.

Basically, we get to go to camp and if someone doesn’t want to go on a hike in to see the bears at Mikfik Creek or McNeil River, we get to fill their spot. When we drew in early June, however, a lot of the bear viewing will actually be closer to camp at both the tide flats and sedge flats. ADFG actually provides a pretty helpful guide on how many bears you can expect to see and where — so I’m not sure if we will even “need” to go to Mikfik Creek but hiking was one of my favorite parts on our last adventure as the terrain was just beautiful.

How Do You get to McNeil River?

Reaching the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary is an adventure in itself, as the sanctuary is located in a remote area of Alaska with no road access. Visitors travel by floatplane, departing from either Homer or Anchorage. Only a few select companies have permission to fly into McNeil, like Northwind Aviation, Destination Alaskan Charters, and Emerald Aviation.

When the float planes can land is also dependent on the tide.

What Do You Do At McNeil River?

​Visiting the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary is an extraordinary experience, offering unparalleled opportunities to observe brown bears in their natural habitat. Each day, visitors embark on guided hikes to prime bear-viewing locations such as McNeil River Falls and Mikfik Creek. These areas are renowned for their high concentrations of brown bears, especially during the salmon runs in July and August.

Why Go to McNeil River Game Sanctuary?

Going to McNeil is without a doubt one of the most unforgettable experiences of our lives. There’s nothing quite like watching brown bears in their natural habitat, completely wild and unbothered by human presence.The sanctuary’s strict permit system limits visitors to just ten people per day, which means the bears remain unhabituated and the viewing experience feels deeply respectful and intimate. ​

Beyond the incredible wildlife—bears, foxes, eagles, and more—the remote camping experience is something special in itself. Living off-grid in a place with no roads, no cell service, and no distractions brings people together in a way that’s hard to describe. We made lifelong friends last time, sharing meals in the cook cabin and swapping stories late into the Alaskan summer nights. ​

A look back at Our 2021 Trip to McNeil River

We feel so lucky we get to return to this wild, peaceful place. It’s a rare privilege to witness such raw beauty, and we can’t wait to soak it all in again.​

Here’s a short reel I made on my personal page of the trip we took in August of 2021