Using horses off the road system in Alaska

[Preston]

Has anyone every considered hauling horses from the lower 48 to Alaska and hunting/fishing off the road system? The bugs, bogs, and willow thickets would be my biggest concerns. I don’t know if there is much of an established trail system. I have been up there twice and did extended cross country off trail backpacking trips and some trails on the Kenia but the interior perma-frost areas I experienced in the interior would kill a horse. Just curious on people's thoughts its just a crazy dream of mine.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Just a note. We were on our way to Cold Foot when we were held up by some road maintenance. Our guide pointed out where a cat D-8 sunk out of sight one spring. One of the guys decided to go look. Before he got 50 ft, the ground started sinking and before he got back to the road the water was up to his waist.

Unless I could see rock, I would be reluctant to wander into the muskeg on foot let alone on a pony. There are miles of floating sod over swamps.

 

[Preston]

I didn’t know if there were areas more like Montana that didn’t have muskeg and had stable trails? In Denali we had to either hike above timber line or along the river systems. Anything in between was really rough going and would seriously kill a horse

 

[S-3 ranch]

Just a note. We were on our way to Cold Foot when we were held up by some road maintenance. Our guide pointed out where a cat D-8 sunk out of sight one spring. One of the guys decided to go look. Before he got 50 ft, the ground started sinking and before he got back to the road the water was up to his waist.

Unless I could see rock, I would be reluctant to wander into the muskeg on foot let alone on a pony. There are miles of floating sod over swamps.

Besides have to get them qaurinted at all the boarder’s, I don’t think a horse could walk around in Alaska, our six wheeled Argo was churning sloppy crap
Everywhere the ground was thawed, I would say find a local that wrangle horses.