Fourteen strapping sled dogs in harness are spending their summer pulling tourists around the Alaska Native Heritage Center. But the contraption to which they are hooked would have the ghost of Balto shaking his head.

The "sled" used for Qipmigaq -- a tour of dog mushing past and present -- is really a big cart surmounted by two cushioned bench seats capable of holding six passengers. It rolls on four 15-inch Firestone radials and features a stand-up steering wheel for the driver and disc brakes.

On Friday, 2011 Iditarod champion John Baker stood next to a big Qipmigaq tent between the center's Yup'ik and Inupiat sites and watched the unorthodox sled take off like a rocket with four people on board.

Qipmigaq (KIP-mi-gak) is Inupiaq for "traveling with dogs." The event is operated by Team Baker Tours and is meant to allow visitors a taste of what it feels like to get pulled by a team of fleet-footed canines.

Baker said he was participating "to give back to the Heritage Center for all the support they've given to me."

After finishing this year's race with a record time of 8 days, 8 hours, 46 minutes and 39 seconds, Baker seemed hesitant to say whether he'd do it again. But on Friday he made it clear that he plans to compete in the 2012 race.

"I thought it was unfair to not do it without first talking with my sponsors, friends and family," he said. "I went to them and they were all behind me running it again."

He didn't predict how he'd finish in a field expected to include former multiple champions such as Jeff King and Lance Mackey and up-and-coming threats like Dallas Seavey.

"Lance will have a strong team as always," he said. "There's always sound competition in this race and a lot of young people who did really good last year."

He particularly mentioned Ramey Smyth of Willow, whose second-place finish would have been a new race record except for Baker's winning time.

"We have to keep an eye on Ramey," he said.

Inside the steel-pole and fabric tent at the Heritage Center, visitors scattered among 50 folding chairs watched a video loop focusing on the Iditarod race and Baker's record-breaking role in it. Along one wall were his trophies and a display of historic and modern mushing gear, old skin harnesses and horse-style harnesses, an ancient 17-foot wooden freight sled and a newfangled aluminum, plastic and carbon fiber racing model.

One member of the team, Bryan Bearss, who finished the race in 37th place in 2006, recounted the development of the sport from the first domesticated Alaska huskies 4,000 years ago, to the advent of racing during the Gold Rush, the use of sled dogs by the military and the creation of the Iditarod race in the 1970s.

"How cold is it?" asked one visitor.

"What is the trail like?" asked another.

A woman from Los Angeles knew the name of at least one prominent figure from sled dog lore -- Balto, the lead dog in the last leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome. Bearrs traversed the history of the serum run and stressed the crucial contribution of Togo, Leonhard Seppala's lead dog, to the success of the mission.

Qipmigaq requires an extra ticket in addition to center admission; the joint admission is $39.95 for adults and $23.95 for children. A ride on the rolling "sled" is $10 more. There's a special rate for those showing an Alaska identification, $25 for center admission plus the Qipmigaq experience.

The talk part of the tour takes place at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. daily through Labor Day. The six-minute rides are offered throughout the day on a first-come basis.

Since winning the 2011 race, Baker said, he'd stayed busy "training and doing presentations in schools up north." He just finished a series of motivational TV public service announcements.

Will the summer gig in Anchorage detract from his preparation for the next Last Great Race?

Baker shrugged. "As long as I get home relatively soon, I'll be OK."