Saturday, November 04, 2006
Guests meeting a possible future champion
"Winningest Musher in the World"
Mushing is the state sport in Alaska and the Iditarod Sled Dog Race is known as The Last Great Race. The name “Jeff King” and Iditarod Champion are nearly synonymous when you consider that Jeff won the 1,049 mile race in 1993, 1996, 1998 and 2006. Only one musher in history has won more Iditarods. In addition, Jeff has won more than two dozen other races all over Alaska. He estimates that he has traveled more than 100,000 miles on a dog sled over the last 20 years.
If you are up Denali way a real treat awaits you if you take a couple of hours and visit Jeff and his family, both human and canine, at his home and kennel on Goose Lake. The tour can be booked in advance or from most of the hotels in the Denali area if space is available. (Best to book ahead.) Jeff runs a fleet of small busses that pick up participants at most of the local hotels at or near the entrance to Denali Park. The drivers are all Jeff’s dog handlers and give a nice commentary and introduction to the experience as you ride along.
Once you get to Husky Homestead, there are PUPPIES!!! If Jeff is there he will come out to meet guests and often gives the tour himself. The day I was there he was Outside meeting with Cabela’s, which is one of his main sponsors, so one of his very knowledgeable handlers gave the tour.
Most of Jeff’s handlers are mushers in training learning from the master. Lisa Frederic, a former handler for Jeff, just published a book about her experience as a handler and her experiences getting to Nome in her first Iditarod. The book is called “Running With Champions”. You can get an autographed copy from the Husky Homestead Store at http://www.huskyhomestead.com/HuskyHomesteadStore.htm
(I read Lisa’s book on the way back from Alaska in August and enjoyed it very much.)
After the puppies are all collected and returned to the puppy pen (yes, they count them…) the tour begins with a very informative tour of the dog yard with explanations of the exercise wheels for the puppies and the adults, and information on how the dogs are cared for and trained.
Guests will then be invited into a presentation area on the second floor of the barn to see Jeff’s memorabilia and all the equipment required to run the Iditarod. Sometimes there are even a few “tales from the trail” included in the informative presentation.
A visit to Husky Homestead on Goose Lake (and all those adorable puppies to pet and cuddle!!!) near Denali, Alaska, is a truly unique Alaskan experience.
See http://www.huskyhomestead.com/index.htm for more information.
