A Paw-Powered Legacy

Sled dogs will be nearly leaping out of their harnesses with excitement as they wait to take off for the Iditarod Ceremonial Start in downtown Anchorage as they do every March. Once moving, the teams traverse an 11-mile route to their finish on BLM’s Campbell Tract, where they are greeted by enthusiastic onlookers waiting to see the teams emerge from the woods.  

When it comes to sled dogs, nothing is more iconic than the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race—an annual event where mushers and their teams brave more than 1,000 miles of trails, including portions of the Iditarod National Historic Trail, from Willow to Nome, Alaska. The Bureau of Land Management plays a unique role as administrator of the Iditarod National Historic Trail, working with agencies and partners to cooperatively manage the 2,000+ mile trail system.

 Each year, BLM Alaska also welcomes guests to the Iditarod Ceremonial Start, a festive precursor to the race, where visitors can cheer on mushers and their dogs along part of the race route. As we prepare for the exciting race season, it got us wondering: What does mushing look like across Alaska’s vast public lands? And better yet—what does it look like through the eyes of a dog?  

We knew we had to get answers to our burning questions, so we reached out to a friend who knows mushing better than most: Denali National Park and Preserve’s very own Bark Ranger, Topo.  

The Denali Sled Dog Kennel was established over a century ago, 104 years to be exact. The dogs were one of the first purchases made by the park’s employee, Harry Karstens. In the 1920s, dog teams were the most reliable and efficient way to travel through Interior Alaska.  These first dog teams played a vital role in shaping the park: they helped establish its boundaries, hauled supplies to build patrol cabins, and put an end to market hunting of wildlife in the newly protected park. Today, the sled dogs continue to support park management and protection, but they also serve as beloved ambassadors. They connect visitors to the park’s history and educate the public about the tradition of dogsledding—a practice that has been part of Denali for a century and is rooted in a 10,000-year-old cultural heritage of the North. 

BLM: Well, hello, Topo! We understand your way of greeting might be a bit different than ours—mind if we stick to a paw shake?  

Topo: Absolutely, put it here, my friend.   

BLM: We’ve heard you’ve run almost 12,000 miles on patrol in Denali National Park and Preserve. That’s incredible!  

Topo: Thank you very much. Yes, that’s a lot of miles on these paws.    

BLM: How do you train for your winter patrols?  

Topo: Each fall my canine ranger friends and I all start running short distances, pulling a wheeled cart around the campground at the park. And each week we run a little farther and a little farther the following week. As freighting sled dogs, our aim is to build up our strength, pull heavy loads, and be able to comfortable run about 20-30 miles per day. 

BLM: Do you have a favorite memory from your winter patrols?  

Topo: I’d have to say that some of my favorite memories are the patrols on the western side of the park, out near Wonder Lake. We typically don’t get there until March, when the sun is shining a little more, and on the clear days the mountain views are just outstanding.   

BLM: It must take some extreme athleticism to cover the miles you have. Do you have a favorite trail snack that keeps you fueled? 

Topo: I think that any of my teammates or the staff at the kennel will tell you that I go crazy for food, any food! In fact, I’m told I have the loudest dinnertime bark of any dog at the Denali Kennel. When we’re out on the trail and it’s a long day, sometimes we get some yummy scraps of meat for a trail snack…..Mmmmm… I could eat those all day and night. 

BLM: You and I both share a love for food. Can you tell me how your work helps protect public lands? 

Topo: My fellow canine rangers and I aren’t just great ambassadors for Denali National Park and Preserve—we’re doing real work to help protect and manage this park. We put in dogsled and ski trails that provide access for visitors all winter long. We also help with resource management tasks. This winter, for example, we’ll be assisting scientists studying permafrost and snowpack by getting them and their equipment out to remote study sites. I’m hoping those scientists bring some yummy snacks for me too! 

BLM: That sounds like an important role, and a great reminder of how our loyal canine companions have historically worked side by side with humans to accomplish impressive tasks.  

What’s your favorite motto to keep the team motivated for all of those miles?  

Topo: Umm, its usually some form of “WOOF, WOOF!” And if we take too many breaks on the trail, I’ll shout that over and over again until we start moving again. The human rangers we work with will often shout out “Up, Up, Up, Up!” when we’re charging up a hill, and that seems to help motivate the team pretty well.   

BLM: We’ll be sure to pass that motivational quote onto the mushers and dogs who participate in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race!  

Just a few more questions Topo, and then we’ll let you get back to your snacks.  

BLM: Have you ever wanted to run the Iditarod?  

Topo: I hear that the dogs running Iditarod get a lot more trail snacks and a lot more meat in their diet, so that sounds very appealing to me. I grew up a freighting dog, which means I don’t run nearly as fast or as far as those dogs – so I don’t think I could keep up with those racing dogs.   

BLM: They are speedy! What encouragement would you’d offer to dogs running in the Iditarod Race?  

Topo: I would like to say “thanks for keeping the tradition of dogsledding alive. We need to keep reminding people that dogs can be so much more than a pet. When we have a job - whether it’s patrolling, racing, or search & rescue, dogs love to do meaningful work, especially with the humans we love. So, keep on running, my Iditarod friends.”   

BLM: You deserve all the treats, Topo! Thank you for teaching us about the important role of sled dogs at Denali and for showing us how you help protect public lands. 

Whether you’re visiting the Denali sled dog kennels or cheering on mushers and their dogs at the Iditarod Ceremonial Start, Alaska’s public lands offer opportunities to connect with a tradition that has shaped the state.