Dog mushing with Eleanor was a lot of fun. She was a fantastic host. Would definitely recommend to... read more
Dog mushing with Eleanor was a lot of fun. She was a fantastic host. Would definitely recommend to... read more
I second all the positive, wonderful things said about this experience (mushing school)! Eleanor... read more
This could be addicting. My wife and I went for a ride yesterday afternoon and it was magical. If I lived up here a would be buying a sled and assembling a team for recreation. A must try on your visit to the Fairbanks area. Eleanor genuinely loves her dogs and considers them family. Don’t pass this opportunity.
It is not uncommon for us to hear that exact quote from folks the moment their tour is over. However you may be our first to follow your dream and join us next year as full time musher! There is nothing that is overlooked in regards to our beautiful family of dogs. If you need any additional inspiration to become a musher comes join us for our authentic Mushing School tour.
Thanks,
Shane
My son and I enjoyed the experience of the dog sledding and staff was very friendly and helpful. Liked the fact that they make sure you will be warm enough on the ride. The dogs are all very friendly and well cared for. Thank you for a wonderful experience!
A wise man once said "There is not such thing as bad weather, only unprepared people." We hold this quote close to our chest at JSoM. Before heading out on your authentic Alaskan excursion we check all guest top to bottom to ensure they are properly outfitted to enjoy their tour, regardless of the weather outside. If guest come unprepared we have all of the proper gear (snow pants, jackets, gloves, hats, etc) to make sure they experience the upmost comfort during their time with us.
Thanks,
Shane
We had a wonderful experience on the 1 hour dog sled ride at Just Short of Magic. It helped that it was a beautiful clear and cold day. Our musher loaded us into a wooden sled and the dogs were off. We really enjoyed the musher's commentary on how the dogs are trained and cared for.
The facility provides you with any of the warm clothing that you may need, and has a comfortable building for checking in and preparing for the ride. As well as hot drinks on your return.
Upon booking a tour with Just Short of Magic, guests agree to arrive 30 minutes prior to their scheduled tour time, this ensures that there is enough time for us to check their winter gear to make sure that you will be warm enough while you are out on the sled. Our heated guest center is the perfect place to get ready and warm up when you return from your ride through the birch and spruce forest that all of our tours sled through.
Come show us your winter gear and we will outfit you with anything else you might be missing and make some dog sledding memories of your own!
Alex
JSoM Admin
Excellent experience!!! All the dogs are tamed. The staff there are all friendly to help me go through the prep.
Each of the dogs here at Just Short of Magic have their own unique personalities, some are more energetic, some are all about being pet while others are all about trying to steal anything in your unzipped pockets. The dogs here range in age from 1 year (yesterday! was their birthday) to 14 years. Zat is our oldest sled dog in the yard and though he does not pull the sled anymore he loves the play time daily if not every other day in a yard behind the house on property.
Alex
JSoM Admin
Just Short of Magic was recommended by some locals so we thought we'd try it and, WOW, we were glad we did. Eloise was so friendly and made sure we had the right clothing for the sled ride. While we were waiting for our musher, Darren, to arrive we were able to spend time with the dogs in the yard; what a treat! The ride itself was SOOO much fun and neither of us wanted it to end!!! Darren was extremely knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions. Once the ride was over, we were able to spend time with the amazing team of dogs and take lots of pictures. The dogs were so sweet and gentle, and they seemed to love the extra scratches behind the ears. Just Short of Magic is wonderful place with a group of genuinely good people creating special adventures and experiences for their guests.
Darrin has lived all over Alaska and the amount of knowledge he brings from his years of dog sledding is impressive. The dogs he brings to Just Short of Magic all have the greatest personalities and you hit the nail on the head with the behind the ear scratching with that bunch! Riding through the birch and spruce forest that backs up to our property is an experience that most do not wish to end, with the only sounds typically being that of the sled's runners gliding atop the snow and the panting of the happy dogs in front of you, there is not much else to occupy your mind, providing a welcome escape from all we typically have going on. It is so great to hear all these wonderful experiences you all are having with us! For those of you that have yet to experience JSoM feel free to call us or hop on our website to learn more about us and book a tour. Alex JSoM Admin
My wife and I had a blissful three night stay in Eleanor's yurt this past March. It was a great escape from our noisy city life in downtown Honolulu. The tranquil remoteness of Just Short of Magic allowed us to enjoy the dark starry nights and quiet snow covered forests of Alaska.
The yurt was very comfortable and warm with both rustic and modern amenities. The furniture and bed were solid, warm and relaxing. For heat, I had fun maintaining the fire in the wood stove because there's something strongly appealing about a good old wood fire in the winter time. The outhouse is 10 feet outside of the yurt and very plain without heat, providing the user a challenge in the freezing temperatures. The yurt has a propane stove allowing you to make hot drinks, and there is electricity too providing power for a few lamps and charging your cell phone or laptop. I can't recall whether the yurt had its own internet because I simply used my cell phone as a wi-fi hotspot to connect my laptop to the internet when necessary. And there is no TV/cable, . . . but we didn't care because we didn't need it. And finally there is no plumbing for running water, but rather the staff brings in buckets of water for simple hand/face washing and another for drinking. So in essence the yurt satisfied both ends of the spectrum, providing a little frontier escapism with some modern amenities.
Eleanor/staff delivered delicious breakfasts to us in the yurt each morning. They were quite filling and very thoughtfully prepared and presented. We looked forward to her breakfasts!
My wife and I also enjoyed a dog sled ride through the nearby woods. Our driver, Christine, was very friendly and knowledgeable and provided a fun ride. The dogs were really happy and eager to run too.
The many beautiful dogs at Just Short of Magic were enjoyable. Each has their own personality and were very excited to greet you looking for hugs, pats and back rubs. And since I'm a dog person, I was happy to accommodate them.
The staff at Just Short of Magic were very courteous, helpful and sought the comfort and satisfaction of the guests. They made our stay very enjoyable.
You are not Truly experiencing Alaska until you pee outside in the frigid temperatures, we like to keep that experience private however and the Yurt has it's own outhouse for this reason. Most of our Yurt Guests are here to get off the grid and take a break from the realities at home, there is cell phone reception, however we do not have WiFi (if your cell phone has a hotspot, that is an option to keep you connected to the internet).
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day according to most, to start your day on a delicious and nutritious note really sets you up for making the most of your time here. We are located 16.5 miles up Chena Hot Springs Road giving you access not only to town but you are already part way to the hot springs by the time you reach here, between that and the multiple dog sled tours we provide here on site you are sure to fill your days with enjoyable outdoor experiences. Check out our website or give us a call here at Just Short of Magic to learn more about staying in the Yurt B&B and/or about the dog sled tours we offer here.
Alex
JSoM Admin