|
Dog mushing in
Western AlaskaWhen Russian and then American pioneers moved
into the Alaska frontier, they found a culture already greatly
shaped and supported by its interaction with dogs. Alfred
H. Brooks, the head of the US Geological Survey (and for
whom the Brooks Range is named), wrote at the beginning
of the twentieth century: “Countless generations of
Alaskan natives have used the dog for transport, and he
is to Alaska what the yak is to India or the llama to Peru.”
Before contact with the Russians in 1732, Inupiaq and Yup’ik
peoples of the Bering Straits had already adapted their
masterfully designed wood latticed and gut-skin covered
kayaks into an over-the-snow craft, minus the skin but plus
ski-like runners to glide over snow when pulled by dogs.
The average team was three dogs, with their master running
ahead to guide their dogs between villages, fish camps,
and hunting camps. Unlike today, teams were harnessed like
a fan, with no leader.
With their long distance fur-gathering forays, the Russians
brought new efficiencies to dog mushing. Teams harnessed
in single file or pairs were introduced, along with the
concept of a lead dog that would follow voice commands and
keep the team in order. Handlebars were added to sleds.
Larger teams of dogs were used, with sleds sometimes carrying
passengers.
Demand for dogs and sleds skyrocketed exponentially with
the gold rushes to Alaska in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth century. During one of the big rushes it was said
that no stray dogs could be found on the streets of Seattle,
having all been rounded up and shipped to Alaska. Malamutes,
huskies, and other breeds were mixed to haul freight and
passengers. Unlike today’s relatively small and sleek
long distance racing sled dogs, the breeds of yesteryear
weighed in around 75 pounds and pulled between 100 and 150
pounds.
Courtesy BLM |
Historic ad: "The
Alaska Freight Sled "Sled designs proliferated,
with manufactured sleds joining the ranks of toboggan-style
handmade sleds. Most every sled at the turn of the twentieth
century was equipped with a “gee pole.” The gee
pole was a stout pole lashed to, and projecting from, the
front of the sled, which the sled driver could use to leverage
and steer the sled. Most dog drivers still did not ride the
sled, instead running besides or riding skis or a sort of
early snowboard between the dog team and sled. Riding the
sled-runners was used only by drivers of light and fast mail
and race teams.
With the replacement of the dog team for intervillage travel
by the airplane, sled technology and dog breeding languished
for half a century. Sprint dog racing took the forefront after
World War II, until Joe Redington, Sr. and others reintroduced
the concept of long distance sled dog travel—this time
for racing purposes. Because racing loads are minimal, smaller
breeds of dogs have gotten more popular. Sleds now incorporate
lightweight plastics, and a design with a mid-sled seat for
the musher is becoming popular. Nonetheless, dog drivers still
use commands from the mid-eighteenth century—“haw,
gee”—to guide their teams on sleds that use centuries-old
designs by Alaska’s Native people.
Mushing History - Blogs
- Gold, Men & Dogs -
All Alaska Sweepstakes
- Mush
Mushing
History - Web Sites |
