My wife Kristen and I, are both independent people that like adventure and a good challenge; we wanted to provide a service for likeminded people. People that want to get out and do things on their own. This may seem an odd view for someone that has made their living as a guide, and I enjoy guiding and sharing my passions with the people I guide; however I know that I am not alone in wanting to experience the world unguided. We hope Hauling Dogs will allow more people to experience the wonders of the BWCA in the winter, and let people have their adventures on their own terms; we’ll just help you get there!
Shawn
I have been guiding dogsled trips in and around the BWCA since 2006 for White Wilderness Sled Dog Adventures, where I continue to guide today. In addition to guiding for White Wilderness, I have also spent summers guiding fly-fishers in remote lodges in Alaska, running a pack-string of mules in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Northwestern Montana, and guiding canoe trips in the BWCA. I have been fortunate to have large chunks of free time that have allowed me to have some adventures of my own; a few extended paddling trips, including a 1000 mile canoe trip to the arctic ocean, and various bike-trekking, and long hiking trips. I have also been very fortunate to have been racing sled dogs since 2008, competing in the John Beargrease Marathon, Hudson Bay Quest, and UP200 multiple times.
Kristen
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would work with a team of sled dogs! Honestly in my wildest dreams I was usually doing really weird things, like flying over a beach while eating cheese wiz. Anyhow, my journey to running dogs came by way of veterinary medicine, which came by way of working with wildlife for 5 summers at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. I graduated from veterinary school in 2014 and have been working as a veterinarian in Ely, MN ever since. I’ve worked for multiple years on the veterinary teams for the UP200 and Beargrease Sled Dog Marathons and I also work with many dogsledding kennels in the Ely area. I’ve raced the Beargrease 120, the Beargrease Marathon, and the UP 200. While I love experiencing the wilderness at the tail end of a team of dogs, I also like to take in the sights while cross country skiing. I have skied the American Birkebeiner 13 times and the Norwegian Birkie once.
Our dogs
We run a team of Alaskan huskies. Alaskan huskies are basically a mix breed dog, bred to optimize performance in freight hauling and racing. They are distinct from Siberian huskies, and as such, do not always look like the typical “husky” that some people expect. Alaskan huskies love to run, as you will witness if you ever see a team of these guys being hooked up! We begin training our dogs in the fall and build up miles over the months, so they are able to run trips with confidence. We work to take good care of our dogs, as they work hard for us. Our dogs rotate through our house and can often be found trying to sneak onto the couch. When they are not training in the summer we regularly free run them as a group, and they often accompany us on canoe trips and jogs through the forest.