Angela G.
Yelp
What a great way to see the Alaskan landscape!
I was thrilled to find this place existed and even more thrilled to show up to find that my boyfriend and I were the only two who had booked a tour for the day.
Private horse tour anyone? Yes, please.
Dan was our tour guide and greeted us warmly. We were a bit early, so he even gifted us with a few minutes head start. My guy had never been on a horse, and so when Dan informed me that the horse he was giving him was older and a bit temperamental, I was a bit hesitant for him to get on. But, he seemed more than ok with the horse at the time, and we went with it.
Looking back, I wish - just for the sake of the matter, that Dan had ensured that the straps on the horse were the right length because as the tour continued, my bf's knees started to ache very uncomfortably. But, as far as a tour guide goes, he was thorough with his explanations of the landscape and very knowledgeable about the area. He seemed quiet for most of the tour but was happy to answer any questions that we asked.
The one thing that really drove these stars from a 5 to a 3 however, was the fact that Dan brought his dogs. They're adorable, don't get me wrong and i LOVE dogs, but even before the horse bucked my bf off (because the dogs scared him), I was already feeling uncomfortable with them there because with every other trot the horse took to catch up to Dan, we'd get dangerously close to the dogs and I could never truly REST into the ride for fear that one of the horses would step on one of the dogs. And then, that's when the fall happened. The dogs had taken off away from our entourage, mindlessly getting lost in the trees. Dan called after them and when they wouldn't listen, he jarringly raised his voice (as one would do) scolding the dogs to return. This caused a trickling effect of them running behind my bf's horse, scaring it shitless causing it to whinny up as it came down on the butt of my horse, then flinging my boyfriend to the ground.
I turned in horror to see him faceplanted on the ground.
It shook us both up for sure and we took some time making sure nothing was broken or torn. He eventually got back on the saddle and we made it back to the ranch within 45 minutes, but the joy and the thrill had been replaced with a quiet longing for the tour to be over.
which, was incredibly unfortunate.
Josh was there when we returned, and took the situation in with such kindness and concern that it redeemed everything that happened, bringing my would be 3 stars back up to a 4. He refunded us our money, gave us his email and has been diligent with checking in and making sure all is well.
He runs a good ship and it's an excellent tour - I'm just not a fan of the dogs. (Sorry Dan!)
But, we thank you for both for a very unique, memorable experience.