Date archives: September 20, 2009

The Willow Dog Mushers held its second annual symposium this weekend, with keynote speaker George Attla delighting the crowd for over an hour. Other notable speakers included Iditarod Champion Martin Buser, Sue Firmin, and Joe May. Attla thoroughly entertained the crowd with stories of old, sharp quips and anecdotes. If…

Rondy welcomes Jeff King, legendary distance musher, to the Rondy World Championship Sled Dog Races, as a Rookie.Jeff King, celebrity musher and author, often referred to as “Winningest Musher in the World”, has confirmed that he will be running the World Championship Sled Dog Races for the first time. As…

Robert Edwin Peary stood shakily as his steamer pushed farther north than any ship ever had under its own power. His discomfort resulted in part from “an enormous squadron of floating icebergs,” but also from his incomplete feet. He lost eight toes to frostbite years before, and although doctors said…

Featured in the Sept/Oct 2009 Issue: There are several junior distance races in Alaska. One that is quickly becoming known as fun and challenging is the Willow Junior 100. Starting and ending at Vern Halter’s kennel in Willow, the race follows historic trails up towards the mining district of Hatcher…

With the exception of three of the dogs listed (Mohawk, the kennel matriarch, and brothers Big Ben and Starman) all of the dogs have been bred and raised by us. We purchase very few dogs, preferring to raise and train our own puppies. Our dogs are not only used for…

Alaskan Malamutes have been on this planet for a long time and recent DNA testing shows they are one of the world’s most ancient breeds. Throughout history we have called upon the malamute for the toughest jobs—dragging sleds to the North and South Poles, hauling U.S. mail across Alaska, and…

“Steger Moosehide Mukluks are twice as warm and less than half the weight of traditional winter boots. They are made in the Northern Cree Indian style and have durable, flexible, treaded rubber soles. We use the best moosehides available, which means that your mukluks will remain supple and flexible through…

Look for simple, durable and functional gear as you master the sport so you can concentrate on learning how to work with dogs rather than fussing with equipment. SledsAs a beginning musher, you need to consider primarily two things to determine what type of sled you need: the sled must…

As you read this, fall will be in the air and all the forgotten sled work will become important again. One of the things I often see in the shop on sleds that come in for repair are worn towlines (also called bridles) that should be replaced. This is usually…

Ah, to be a dog in Frank Turner and Anne Taylor’s Muktuk Kennel, a place where all 130 four-legged team members have the best of every possible world.Part racing kennel and part adventure-tour camp, Muktuk is all heart and there are few better ambassadors for the sport of mushing than…