WEBVTT

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[music]

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[dogs howling]

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[wind blowing]

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[music]

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Denali National Park and Preserve is home to the only working sled dog kennel in the entire National Park Service.

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[dogs howling]

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The dogs and the rangers here uphold a tradition

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as old as Alaska itself.

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A way of living, working and traveling

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that some may think exists
only in the past.

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[music]

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The park's kennels are one of

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the few left in this country that still

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breed and raise the large freight-hauling style

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of Alaskan husky.

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While dog teams were once common in many households in Alaska, used to support travel

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and transportation of supplies, when modern technology like snowmobiles and airplanes

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gained popularity,
sled dogs began to disappear.

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Rangers hope that will never
be the case here.

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The Denali Kennel carries on not just the history

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and heritage of Alaska,
but the park itself.

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[music]

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Dogs have played a key role in Denali since 1922,

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when the park's kennel
was first established.

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[music]

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They have worked with rangers to do everything

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from patrolling for poachers

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to supporting scientists studying climate change.

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While the work of the dogs has evolved over time,

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so too have the bloodlines.

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One of the things that Denali's

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dogs are known for is that they are—

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they're traditional freight-style dogs that used to be found all across Alaska

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when everybody had their own dog team

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for traveling or hauling

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running trap lines.

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Throughout the year, kennels rangers carefully assess each dog's performance

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in all aspects of their jobs.

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Is the dog confident, independent, out-going and friendly?

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Do they get along well
with other dogs?

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Is their fur thick enough to keep them warm out on the trail when it's 40 below?

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Are their paws large but compact?

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Do they demonstrate a true desire to run and pull?

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And can they lead a team with confidence

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but also work in partnership
with the musher?

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From this analysis, the kennels manager chooses the breeding pair—

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the dogs who will continue
the bloodline.

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Once a breeding takes place, gestation lasts 60 to 65 days. The pups are born in the kennel, and staff are always on hand

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to assist with the arrival
of the newest canine rangers.

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[music]

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For the first few weeks of their lives,

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the pups are
entirely dependent on mom.

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Their eyes and ears remain closed, and they can't produce their own body heat

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or eliminate their own waste.

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They spend all of their time sleeping,

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nursing, and growing.

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After the first critical weeks have passed, the pups emerge from the doghouse

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and begin to explore
their world.

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Kennels rangers handle and gently stress each pup,

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developing essential neuromotor pathways.

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This allows them to calmly react to any situation

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they may face
in their adult lives.

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As the pups grow, training starts to build sled dog skills.

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Short runs on the track turn to long, exploratory walks

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with the rangers, mom and other adult dogs.

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The pups run through the woods,

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climb over logs,

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and get their feet wet at creek crossings,

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all preparing them for the challenges of the trail

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Truly important,

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as these pups will replace the kennel's oldest dogs,

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who at age 9 are ready for retirement.

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But it's not just the pups who are training each fall—

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kennels rangers have to get the big dogs ready

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for the trail too.

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[upbeat music]

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Getting in shape for winter work

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begins with cart and ATV runs.

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When there's enough snow, we switch to sleds,

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and that's when
the fun really begins.

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[music]

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During these runs, each dog not only rebuilds

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physical strength and fitness,

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but also sharpens his or her mental capacity

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for team work, navigation

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and the ability to follow commands.

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- Come on! Let's go!

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By the time the snow starts to blanket

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the pristine Denali landscape,

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the new puppies have grown big enough to cover

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several miles running loose,

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but they are still not physically

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or mentally ready to train and pull

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with the adult dogs.

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The pups learn to pull
by skijoring.

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Pulling a skier

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is a much less stressful way

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for the pups to learn the concept of pulling,

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and can accomplish several goals.

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We can have one adult dog on the line

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to help guide the puppy
and show her what to do.

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We can work individually with the little guys on verbal commands

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and build their confidence in working with humans.

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The puppies love skijoring,

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and it gives us great insight

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into each individual's personality

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and their training needs, much more so than if they were just

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one of many dogs
pulling in a team.

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The park's modern day mushers and dogs

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carry on a long, proud tradition

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of human and canine rangers working together

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to travel and protect this unique landscape.

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Harry Karstens, the park's original superintendent

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was first and foremost a dog musher.

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Even before the park was established,

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Karstens traveled and worked in the area,

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most notably as a guide for Charles Sheldon,

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a wealthy hunter-naturalist

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who came to study Dall sheep in the early 1900s.

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This partnership and journey inspired Sheldon

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to lobby for the creation of this national park

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in 1917.

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When Superintendent Karstens was first tasked with protecting the park,

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he recognized a dog team was essential to his duties.

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He bought the park's first seven sled dogs

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from Norman Hadley in Nenana

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and used the team to monitor wildlife

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and patrol for poachers.

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A century later, the dogs have proven an invaluable tool

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for traveling Denali's remote landscapes,

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even in today's rapidly changing modern times.

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Dog teams remain more reliable than most machines

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when it comes to starting up at 50 below zero.

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[engine rumbling]

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They can easily travel through wet overflow,

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a hazard that could bog down a snowmobile.

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By using these sled dogs instead of machines,

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we're replacing cold engines with warm, beating hearts.

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We're trading a tangle of wires
for a network of veins,

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channeling blood enriched with passion, purity,

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and an electricity that no battery will ever come close to harnessing.

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That's what powers this place.

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And after a long day on the trail,

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dogs are much more fun to cuddle up with

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than any snowmobile.

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These sled dogs can also go

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where machines legally cannot...

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The two million acres of Denali wilderness

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established during
the park's expansion in 1980.

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Wilderness, as defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964,

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is a place where the land is untouched

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and man himself is a visitor
who does not remain.

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Wilderness is so much more than s set of legal directives.

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It is also an experience,

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a feeling our visitors are seeking when they come here.

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The sled dogs are an exceptional means

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of preserving the unique wilderness character of this park.

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By using them as our primary means of transport in the winter,

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we keep our heritage alive and promote the value

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of traditional tools and skills in a modern world.

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[music]

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[wind blowing]

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— We're getting ready to go check out

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the lower stakes on the Traleika Glacier.

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These stakes were drilled into the ice,

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and we periodically go out and see

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how much they've melted out of the ice,

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and do a couple other things,

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like check out the snow density.

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What makes these stakes really interesting,

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or monitoring this glacier particularly

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really interesting, is that over the past year

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the elevation of the glacier has actually been rising,

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which makes it seem like something's going on,

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like it might be surging.

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During Denali's long, cold winter,

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park scientists may need to access remote locations

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within designated Wilderness for their research,

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or trail crew and maintenance staff

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may need to transport large, bulky items

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to remote locations
for project work.

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While a helicopter, airplane or snowmobile may seem like the obvious choice,

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the Wilderness Act mandates

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park staff take a different
approach.

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— You know, the dogs mushed out to Wonder Lake

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and then the dogs actually hauled all of our stuff

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up to McGonagall pass.

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Park managers must ask,

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"What is the minimum tool that we can use for this job?"

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In Denali, that means asking,

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"Can we use a dog team
to accomplish this work?"

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[wind blowing]

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Dog teams don't just haul in supplies to remote locations.

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They also haul materials out
of wilderness.

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Backcountry rangers and volunteers

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will hike into remote areas

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and pile up heavy debris during the summer months

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so that dog teams can return in winter

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to haul it out.

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[music]

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In addition to the projects completed with other divisions,

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we also help break trail and establish winter travel routes.

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We report on conditions

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and help our winter visitors prepare for the backcountry.

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And in doing that,

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we hope our dog teams encourage and inspire people

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to come and have their own adventures

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during Denali's
beautiful winter season.

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[music]

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Most summer visitors cannot imagine

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returning to Denali in winter,

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but kennels rangers have long known a secret

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that surprises many:

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travel in this park is often easier

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when the thermometer
dips below zero.

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Thick brush hides beneath swales of snow,

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boggy lakes and spongy tundra freeze solid,

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and turbulent rivers transform

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into highways of ice.

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For those seeking solitude, adventure and challenge,

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a winter journey through Denali's wilderness

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provides the intrepid traveler

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a refuge from modern civilization

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and a place to rejuvenate
the spirit.

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Cold temperatures typically usher in clear, sunny skies,

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which reward with gorgeous views

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of the majestic Alaska Range,

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and long, dark winter nights provide opportunities

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to witness the magic
of the Aurora Borealis.

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[music]

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But don't be fooled—

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the relative ease of

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travel and the breathtaking beauty of Denali in winter

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does not mean the work we do is easy.

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If you think that dog mushing is about

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standing on the runners on the back of the sled

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and enjoying the view,

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think again.

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[music]

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No matter the conditions,

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after a long, hard day on the trail,

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both mushers and dogs are happy

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to reach a cabin for the night ...

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... even if the work does not end

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when they reach
their destination.

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Feeding and hydrating 30 to 35 hard-working dogs on the trail

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is no small task.

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After the mushers have finished their chores, a couple of lucky dogs

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are chosen to join them in the
cabin for some extra attention.

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When everyone has had their fill of belly rubs and play,

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it is time to rest.

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Tomorrow will be another busy day.

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This is life on the trail.

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[music]

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As the season goes on,

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the dog teams travel

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deep into the heart of the wilderness,

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beyond where any patrol cabins
exist.

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There's something very soothing and rewarding

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about performing the basic tasks

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required to survive.

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Everything gets distilled down

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to food, water, shelter and warmth.

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In our high-tech, fast-paced, modern world

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we treasure the gift
of slowing down...

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And remembering
the simple pleasures...

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We all find great joy and satisfaction

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in days consumed by the simple acts

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of travel and work
in wilderness.

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By this point, the adult dogs are in peak condition

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and can easily travel 30 or more miles per day,

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hauling more equipment

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and completing
more project work.

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Last summer's pups are also bigger and better by March.

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They've spent the winter running loose next to the teams,

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and have learned the common travel routes,

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experienced various trail conditions,

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and burned off some
of their puppy energy.

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Physically, the pups are still not ready to pull the sleds

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for more than a few short miles,

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but, they'll continue to grow and get stronger,

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so by next fall,

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they will be ready to run
with the big dogs.

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[music]

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Saying goodbye to winter and hello to spring

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feels bittersweet for the kennel staff.

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[water dripping and flowing]

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As temperatures warm

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and the land prepares for summer,

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rangers store heavy parkas,

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harnesses,
and sleds for another year.

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Only memories of the winter remain,

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and soon another season begins.

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The rangers will be busy answering questions

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and giving demonstrations

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to thousands of visitors,

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while the dogs rest on their houses.

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[music]

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Visitors will scratch behind their ears,

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rub their bellies, and stare into

00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:11.300
the dogs' eyes,

00:18:11.925 --> 00:18:15.429
perhaps catching a glimmer
of their winter adventures.

00:18:15.429 --> 00:18:17.429
[music]

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The sled dogs offer them a connection

00:18:19.429 --> 00:18:21.429
to a different world,

00:18:22.311 --> 00:18:24.897
a fearsome and fragile
wilderness.

00:18:24.897 --> 00:18:28.200
[music]

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It is not hard to understand

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why the canine and human rangers

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are so passionate about their work,

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why they are willing to go to such great lengths

00:18:37.451 --> 00:18:39.536
to protect this great land.

00:18:41.536 --> 00:18:43.536
These sled dogs teach us to

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pursue our daily lives and work

00:18:45.536 --> 00:18:48.000
with unbridled enthusiasm and dedication.

00:18:49.300 --> 00:18:51.548
We wholeheartedly share in their desire

00:18:51.548 --> 00:18:53.467
to run and explore...

00:18:55.467 --> 00:18:58.500
... to see what lies beyond the next bend in the river ...

00:18:59.681 --> 00:19:02.267
... or over the next
mountain range.

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And while it is a unique relationship

00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:09.400
that exists between ranger and sled dog,

00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:13.000
the Denali dogs should hold a special place

00:19:13.070 --> 00:19:15.113
in each of our hearts.

00:19:15.113 --> 00:19:19.500
[music]

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We live in a rapidly changing world

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where ice caps are melting

00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:26.500
and Alaska's winters are warming,

00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:30.500
where daily life revolves around technology

00:19:31.300 --> 00:19:33.173
and the simple pleasures of nature

00:19:33.173 --> 00:19:35.092
can be hard to find.

00:19:37.092 --> 00:19:39.092
By doing what they love

00:19:39.092 --> 00:19:40.900
and taking on the work of the park,

00:19:40.900 --> 00:19:42.900
the Denali sled dogs lead the way

00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:44.900
in preserving and protecting

00:19:44.900 --> 00:19:46.500
the integrity of this wild place.

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They also remind us of our responsibility

00:19:50.315 --> 00:19:52.067
to future generations:

00:19:54.067 --> 00:19:56.067
That we must act to ensure

00:19:56.067 --> 00:19:57.500
our children and grandchildren

00:19:57.500 --> 00:19:59.500
have the same opportunities

00:19:59.500 --> 00:20:02.500
for discovery, adventure, reflection

00:20:02.500 --> 00:20:04.800
and solitude in this park

00:20:04.830 --> 00:20:07.541
and its great, vast wilderness.

00:20:07.541 --> 00:21:13.200
[music]