Alaskan Dogs and the People Who Love Them

We just returned from a two week tour of Alaska.  Some of the most fascinating stories and experiences of our journey were centered on Alaskan dogs and the people who love them: Iditarod champions Libby Riddles and Martin Buser (and his son Rhone); Patsy Ann and the seaside community of Juneau; the rangers at Denali National Park and their sled team (and our favorite blue eyed Alaskan Husky, Lava) and finally Chuck and his gold panning companion Beau the Antler Dog. 

From Juneau to Denali, Willow to Wasilla, Alaska--the dog is friend, companion, partner, and life-saver.  We hope our own three cowdogs (who spent the past two weeks at Kamp Kit while we cruised the fjords of Glacier Bay and the peaks of Denali) will forgive our tribute here to their distant cousins in  glorious north of Yukon country.

I spent a few days reading and gazing as we cruised Glacier Bay and College Fjord--completely immersed in the book "Race Across Alaska: First Woman to Win the Iditarod" by Libby Riddles after meeting Libby in Juneau and hearing her amazing story.  I was so fascinated by the partnership and training of the Alaskan Husky as working dogs and for the iconic Idiatarod that we decided to visit the K9 federal employees at Denali National Park and Martin Buser's Happy Trails Kennel.

The touching story of Patsy Ann the (deaf) bull dog greeter of Juneau who welcomed every ship that came to harbor during the early twentieth century merited notice on the Cowdog Blog as well. 

We hope our fellow cowdog lovers and friends will enjoy this collage of our new friends in the northern latitudes. Of course, we couldn't resist the puppies along the journey. 

The extreme beauty and extreme living conditions remain a source of inspiration even after we return to New Mexico and the warmth of the high desert. We will always remember the rare moment of viewing Mt. McKinley (peaking through the clouds) en route to Denali via the Alaska Railroad. We understood very quickly why the Denali National Park relies on sled dogs to patrol the park through the dark snowy months (which span October to May).