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DIRECTORY
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EDUCATIONAL
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MEMBER
& PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
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JOANNE
KLUMB - MUSHER
I grew up in Michigan,
and came to Alaska 20 years ago after living in the New York City
area for 10 years. Unlike living on the East Coast where I was
always a little out of sync with everyone else, I was immediately
at home in Fairbanks. I had adopted a great Siberian/collie in
Pet Haven in upstate NY. Saskatoon would yank my arms out of their
sockets while he pulled me around a park in Stamford, Ct., so
I was determined that he would get a chance to pull a sled when
we came to Alaska. A new musher friend gave Saskatoon his big
chance, and at some point stopped the sled and insisted that I
get out of the basket and onto the runners. I was hooked. Getting
dogs was easy, and at least one of my foursome, Tubbers, did have
experience, so she trained us all. Then I needed a sled, found
a sled builder, and eventually married him. Good thing too because
there’s a shop (bigger than the house) to take my sled into
for repairs. We live about 10 miles north of Fairbanks, above
the ice fog and on a hill that is frequently warmer than town
because of temperature inversions. Out of the yard, our narrow
trail winds 6 miles to a power line that opens up endless areas
in which to mush. Rarely do we see anyone else. Our favorite destination
is our cabin in the Chatanika River valley. Currently we have
to drive to the trailhead, but hopefully someday we’ll be
able to connect all the dots and mush there from home. The dogs
love going to their “little puppy shacks by the creek”.
We go for long trips on the Chatanika River, and then return to
the cabin overland on trails that cross frozen ponds and fields.
The beauty, the silence, the rhythm of the team make it truly
another world.
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INFORMATION
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2007
HONORARY
MUSHERS
Howard
Lincoln from White
Mountain, Alaska |
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