Though this trip wasn’t a vehicle-based expedition per se, I’m posting this in the ‘Overland Trip Reports’ section because it is indicative of how explorers and indigenous peoples used to travel and explore in the arctic areas of North America (and other continents) before the advent of motorized vehicles. It’s the original form of arctic overlanding, and, arguably, it is still a relevant and effective form of overland transport in the frozen north.
Some background on this artic overland team and how they work: There is a fellow by the name of Joe Henderson who lives in Alaska. He is known in the mushing circles up there. He has spent many years exploring the arctic tundra of northern Alaska with a team of sled dogs pulling heavy cargo sleds. For many years, he has conducted solo, self-sufficient winter expeditions in the Alaskan wilderness for weeks, sometimes months, without resupply or encountering another soul. The reason he is able to do these kinds of trips is due in part to his extensive survival skills and also due to his choice of dogs: Alaskan Malamutes.
The arctic musher’s vehicle of choice:
When a lot of people think of sled dogs, they think of small, agile Siberian Husky’s. And when people think of mushing they think of those Husky’s pulling racing sleds in a well-known event like the Iditarod or Yukon Quest. But reality is quite divorced from perception on this subject. Those racing events are now dominated by what’s known as an Alaskan Husky, which is basically a genetic mix of Siberian Husky, Eurohound and various other dogs that have been used to breed a smaller, but fast and long-winded dog. Siberian Husky’s are still used by some, but are no longer considered the preferred dog for racing events. And both breeds have lighter builds, smaller stature and often times lighter fur coats, which makes them suited for fast and short term mushing events. They are the ‘sportscar’ of the mushing world. Back before there were snowmobiles and motorized vehicles, people relied primarily on a different sort of dog to hunt, explore, and move supplies; it was a bigger dog with a sturdier bone structure, thicker fur coat, and an inherent drive to pull heavy sleds for long distances. In Alaska, that dog was known as the Alaskan Malamute (‘Malamute’ refers to a tribe of Innuit that was known to employ those dogs). Other areas of the world had dogs of a similar type and function: the Canadian Eskimo dog in northern Canada; and the Greenland dog in Greenland. If the Siberian and Alaskan Husky’s are ‘sportscars,’ these heavier freight dogs should be considered ‘SUV’s’ by comparison. Speaking about the Malamute in particular, it is a dog that is better suited to pushing through heavy and deep snow in subzero temperatures. These dogs are built for arctic life: their paws are big and oval-like; their thick, double coat of fur provides effective protection against the cold wind; their legs are long and muscular and their chests are broad and powerful. Their metabolism is highly efficient, despite their size and energy levels; this means that they can survive and work with very little food. Joe gave each of his dogs a few scoops of food, once in the morning and once in the evening and such quantity seemed more than sufficient for them.
But physical dimensions and characteristics only describe half the equation when it comes to these dogs. Malamutes, at least working Malamutes, love to pull and thrive when working as part of a team. It is hard to describe to the uninitiated, but these dogs’ energy levels and enthusiasm increases drastically when they were preparing for and actually engaged in sled pulling. They jump, bark and feed off each other’s energy when working, in the same manner that a squad of grunts might yell and sing cadence when they go for a unit run. And like a squad of grunts, they test each other and form a hierarchy. Some might interpret this as dog aggression, but it seems more accurate to describe it as an ebb and flow of cohesive teamwork and growling disagreements that is inherent to any close-knit group. And every day, without exception, they howled together. These are the dogs that Joe uses to pull his sleds.
His sled setup is a topic unto itself. Joe uses a two-sled system, one in front of the other and connected to each other via criss-crossed ropes (Joe states that this assists in turning the sleds and keeping them aligned with the path formed by the dogs). The sleds are custom-built, made of wood and metal framing. They are heavy and sturdy and can easily accommodate a few tons of supplies between the two of them. This logistical setup of these sleds is simple but brilliant. Joe positions the heaviest gear and supplies at the bottom of the sleds, to form packing base. On top of that gear, Joe puts the lighter gear (tents, sleeping pads and bags, clothing bags). This lighter gear is not only easier to pack and compact, but also serves as cushion of sorts for anyone who might be riding the sled. All of this is secured to the sleds via tarps and a system of rope netting which is tightened and tied off using simple hitch knots. The ski’s, snowshoes, poles and other tools can be weaved through this netting for easy access. The dogs wear specially-made harnesses which are attached to a central cable connected to the front sled. Unlike most other race-oriented mushers who run their dogs in pairs, Joe runs several dogs deep in each row (the exact number will vary depending on the snow conditions and terrain). Whereas most other mushers are focused on speedy movement across a semi-groomed mushing trail, Joe’s entire setup is geared towards pulling heavy payloads over a variety of conditions (ranging from snow that is several feet deep to arctic ice). There is a musher’s position at the end of the rear sled; it has a simple brake system (a metal crossmember that will put two metal stakes into the ground when stepped on) but nothing else. Whereas other mushers may rely on a system of cables and or leaning to help steer the sleds, the counteracting weight of Joe’s 2-sled system largely steers itself and the dogs rely on verbal commands for direction (more details on that later).
Some background on this artic overland team and how they work: There is a fellow by the name of Joe Henderson who lives in Alaska. He is known in the mushing circles up there. He has spent many years exploring the arctic tundra of northern Alaska with a team of sled dogs pulling heavy cargo sleds. For many years, he has conducted solo, self-sufficient winter expeditions in the Alaskan wilderness for weeks, sometimes months, without resupply or encountering another soul. The reason he is able to do these kinds of trips is due in part to his extensive survival skills and also due to his choice of dogs: Alaskan Malamutes.
The arctic musher’s vehicle of choice:
When a lot of people think of sled dogs, they think of small, agile Siberian Husky’s. And when people think of mushing they think of those Husky’s pulling racing sleds in a well-known event like the Iditarod or Yukon Quest. But reality is quite divorced from perception on this subject. Those racing events are now dominated by what’s known as an Alaskan Husky, which is basically a genetic mix of Siberian Husky, Eurohound and various other dogs that have been used to breed a smaller, but fast and long-winded dog. Siberian Husky’s are still used by some, but are no longer considered the preferred dog for racing events. And both breeds have lighter builds, smaller stature and often times lighter fur coats, which makes them suited for fast and short term mushing events. They are the ‘sportscar’ of the mushing world. Back before there were snowmobiles and motorized vehicles, people relied primarily on a different sort of dog to hunt, explore, and move supplies; it was a bigger dog with a sturdier bone structure, thicker fur coat, and an inherent drive to pull heavy sleds for long distances. In Alaska, that dog was known as the Alaskan Malamute (‘Malamute’ refers to a tribe of Innuit that was known to employ those dogs). Other areas of the world had dogs of a similar type and function: the Canadian Eskimo dog in northern Canada; and the Greenland dog in Greenland. If the Siberian and Alaskan Husky’s are ‘sportscars,’ these heavier freight dogs should be considered ‘SUV’s’ by comparison. Speaking about the Malamute in particular, it is a dog that is better suited to pushing through heavy and deep snow in subzero temperatures. These dogs are built for arctic life: their paws are big and oval-like; their thick, double coat of fur provides effective protection against the cold wind; their legs are long and muscular and their chests are broad and powerful. Their metabolism is highly efficient, despite their size and energy levels; this means that they can survive and work with very little food. Joe gave each of his dogs a few scoops of food, once in the morning and once in the evening and such quantity seemed more than sufficient for them.
But physical dimensions and characteristics only describe half the equation when it comes to these dogs. Malamutes, at least working Malamutes, love to pull and thrive when working as part of a team. It is hard to describe to the uninitiated, but these dogs’ energy levels and enthusiasm increases drastically when they were preparing for and actually engaged in sled pulling. They jump, bark and feed off each other’s energy when working, in the same manner that a squad of grunts might yell and sing cadence when they go for a unit run. And like a squad of grunts, they test each other and form a hierarchy. Some might interpret this as dog aggression, but it seems more accurate to describe it as an ebb and flow of cohesive teamwork and growling disagreements that is inherent to any close-knit group. And every day, without exception, they howled together. These are the dogs that Joe uses to pull his sleds.
His sled setup is a topic unto itself. Joe uses a two-sled system, one in front of the other and connected to each other via criss-crossed ropes (Joe states that this assists in turning the sleds and keeping them aligned with the path formed by the dogs). The sleds are custom-built, made of wood and metal framing. They are heavy and sturdy and can easily accommodate a few tons of supplies between the two of them. This logistical setup of these sleds is simple but brilliant. Joe positions the heaviest gear and supplies at the bottom of the sleds, to form packing base. On top of that gear, Joe puts the lighter gear (tents, sleeping pads and bags, clothing bags). This lighter gear is not only easier to pack and compact, but also serves as cushion of sorts for anyone who might be riding the sled. All of this is secured to the sleds via tarps and a system of rope netting which is tightened and tied off using simple hitch knots. The ski’s, snowshoes, poles and other tools can be weaved through this netting for easy access. The dogs wear specially-made harnesses which are attached to a central cable connected to the front sled. Unlike most other race-oriented mushers who run their dogs in pairs, Joe runs several dogs deep in each row (the exact number will vary depending on the snow conditions and terrain). Whereas most other mushers are focused on speedy movement across a semi-groomed mushing trail, Joe’s entire setup is geared towards pulling heavy payloads over a variety of conditions (ranging from snow that is several feet deep to arctic ice). There is a musher’s position at the end of the rear sled; it has a simple brake system (a metal crossmember that will put two metal stakes into the ground when stepped on) but nothing else. Whereas other mushers may rely on a system of cables and or leaning to help steer the sleds, the counteracting weight of Joe’s 2-sled system largely steers itself and the dogs rely on verbal commands for direction (more details on that later).