Alaskan Arctic Expeditions

The Pulling Factor II—The Early Years

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:19:02 +0000

Per a request on Facebook, I’m going to elaborate on the highlights of my training methods for my malamutes. There are many strains of Alaskan malamutes around the world. Some are light weight, small-boned, and swift running dogs; others are … Continue reading →

2012 Expedition-The Pulling Factor

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:08:06 +0000

When you see an Alaskan malamute during a hard pull you will see the happiest dog alive. He or she doesn’t know the limit to their strength. They pull with every muscle fiber in their bodies backed up with an … Continue reading →

Home Is Wherever I’m With You

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Sat, 05 May 2012 19:20:49 +0000

Home again! Joe and the team have been home for just under a week and it’s great to see them all again. The dogs are in their best form…muscled up like Popeye from head to toe with sparkling, fluffy, snow-washed … Continue reading →

Melting

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:52:06 +0000

The word from Joe lately is that it’s warm on the North Slope. The snow is melting quickly and their days on the expedition are numbered for precisely that reason. Even though the snow was waist deep this season, there’s … Continue reading →

Happy Easter

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:37:18 +0000

We’d like to wish a very Happy Easter to all of our readers on this fine Sunday! I took this photo many years ago in Wrangell, AK in the southeastern part of the state and it always makes me think … Continue reading →

Getting Warmer

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:49:18 +0000

Joe and the team have been enduring one heck of a cold snap. Joe reports that for the past 40 days it was –60F. Every. Single. Day. But finally that pattern seems to have broken. This morning Joe said it’s … Continue reading →

Unseasonably Cold

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 15:24:49 +0000

The North Slope of Alaska is one of those places where you just never know what’s coming in regards to the weather. Some years it warms up early and quickly so break-up starts happening before you know what hit you. … Continue reading →

Why Do An Expedition?

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 18:39:47 +0000

This week, Joe is making his way back to the Haul Road to meet up with his first client of the season. Brian Brunner, a fellow malamute lover from the beautiful northwestern state of Washington, will be joining the expedition … Continue reading →

99 Below

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:01:08 +0000

Can you imagine what -99°F feels like? Are there even words to describe that kind of bitter cold? I suppose that’s a question only Joe can answer. And answer he did. He summed it up as “invigorating.” Just what kind … Continue reading →

Engineering a Snow Bridge

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 02:59:59 +0000

Joe and the team are having a great expedition season. Aside from the occasional blinding ice fog, the weather has been really nice, which is so unusual for February. I keep checking the NOAA website for the northeastern Brooks Range, … Continue reading →

2012 Expedition Rookies: The Fab 5

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:28:30 +0000

This year, Joe has five rookies on the expedition. That’s the most he’s ever had at once. Normally he likes to start the season off with the rookies in harness tethered to the side of the sled rather than in … Continue reading →

The 2012 Arctic Expedition is on!

alaskanarcticexpeditions — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:55:49 +0000

Whew!! It was a heck of a rough start and I don’t mean on the trail with the team. It was a real challenge this year just to get out of town. Between vehicle issues and blizzard conditions bringing traffic … Continue reading →