Alaska Snowdancers
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Francine Bennis established the Alaska Snowdancers
Dogsled Tours & Freighting, in Chugiak, Alaska, in 2002 to
provide opportunities for dogsled tours (sled rides, introduction to
dogmushing, half-day, full day, or multiple day/overnight tours). The
company moved its base of operations to Trapper Creek, Alaska,
in 2005 to take advantage of better snow conditions.
Francine grew up (the first time, she says) in Niagara Falls, New
York, and came to Alaska on a whim when she was 18. She'd
always loved animals and remote wild places. The mountains,
glaciers, clean air, and dog teams of Alaska captivated her
completely. She knew Alaska and the dogs were the life for her.
She still loves and savors every minute of it after almost 30 years.
While earning a BS in Biology/Geology at the University of Alaska,
Fairbanks, Francine embarked on a career of commercial fishing
that spanned twenty years. Commercial fishing took her to the
waters of the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska for salmon, herring,
cod, halibut, and crab. In the early 1990s, she began working in
fisheries conservation promoting healthy Alaskan oceans.
Francine started running dogs in 1978 when a friend went 'Outside'
(outside Alaska) for the winter and left her his four leaderless dogs
to run. She ran the dogs for fun and by the next year she had a few
of her own dogs, In the summer of 1980 while looking for a Bristol
Bay salmon fishing job, she had the good fortune to meet Joe
Reddington, Sr. Joe encouraged her to 'go Iditarod' and in 1984,
after a fantastic salmon season and with a lot of help from Joe, she
did just that. She ran the 200 mile Knik to Skwentna and back
race (called Don's Iditarod 200 back then, now called the Knik
200) to qualify for the Iditarod. Afterwards, she continued to run
dogs for fun.
Joe Sr. passed on in 1999. Francine got one of the last puppies
he named--Raven--a descendent of Joe's famous Roamer and
Feets. Raven fathered his first litter of nine pups, born June 24,
2005, on the sixth anniversary of Joe's passing. They share the
company of about 30 other dogs and pups.
For two summers, Francine worked on glaciers giving dogsled
rides to tourists. Recently she began developing summer dogsled
ride operations in the Talkeetna/Trapper Creek area. She has her
private pilot's license and loves to fly every chance she gets.
Flying, wilderness and dogs are her quite compatible passions.
Dogsled Tours & Freighting, in Chugiak, Alaska, in 2002 to
provide opportunities for dogsled tours (sled rides, introduction to
dogmushing, half-day, full day, or multiple day/overnight tours). The
company moved its base of operations to Trapper Creek, Alaska,
in 2005 to take advantage of better snow conditions.
Francine grew up (the first time, she says) in Niagara Falls, New
York, and came to Alaska on a whim when she was 18. She'd
always loved animals and remote wild places. The mountains,
glaciers, clean air, and dog teams of Alaska captivated her
completely. She knew Alaska and the dogs were the life for her.
She still loves and savors every minute of it after almost 30 years.
While earning a BS in Biology/Geology at the University of Alaska,
Fairbanks, Francine embarked on a career of commercial fishing
that spanned twenty years. Commercial fishing took her to the
waters of the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska for salmon, herring,
cod, halibut, and crab. In the early 1990s, she began working in
fisheries conservation promoting healthy Alaskan oceans.
Francine started running dogs in 1978 when a friend went 'Outside'
(outside Alaska) for the winter and left her his four leaderless dogs
to run. She ran the dogs for fun and by the next year she had a few
of her own dogs, In the summer of 1980 while looking for a Bristol
Bay salmon fishing job, she had the good fortune to meet Joe
Reddington, Sr. Joe encouraged her to 'go Iditarod' and in 1984,
after a fantastic salmon season and with a lot of help from Joe, she
did just that. She ran the 200 mile Knik to Skwentna and back
race (called Don's Iditarod 200 back then, now called the Knik
200) to qualify for the Iditarod. Afterwards, she continued to run
dogs for fun.
Joe Sr. passed on in 1999. Francine got one of the last puppies
he named--Raven--a descendent of Joe's famous Roamer and
Feets. Raven fathered his first litter of nine pups, born June 24,
2005, on the sixth anniversary of Joe's passing. They share the
company of about 30 other dogs and pups.
For two summers, Francine worked on glaciers giving dogsled
rides to tourists. Recently she began developing summer dogsled
ride operations in the Talkeetna/Trapper Creek area. She has her
private pilot's license and loves to fly every chance she gets.
Flying, wilderness and dogs are her quite compatible passions.