From Fire To Ice

Each year as I become more consumed by my mushing habit, the question always arises—How will I fund my obsession? It’s no secret that there’s no money in dog sledding. Sure, you’ll receive a little over $1000 consolation prize for just finishing the Iditarod, but compare that to the $3000 entry fee, booties, shipping of gear etc, and the checkbook just doesn’t balance. Not to mention, the $1000 prize is rumored to have been implemented so that mushers would have enough money to fly home once they arrived in Nome. And yet, we always come back for more.

So how do we fund our obsession? Some mushers have full-time jobs like accounting, contracting, or teaching. Others own touring operations or lease out their dogs. Some are independently wealthy or have sponsors. Most are a combination of the above. Two summers ago, I tried out a couple different touring operations, and while enjoyable, this summer, I was looking for something different. And that’s where Ray Crowe, Aliy’s brother-in-law, came in.

For too many years to count, Ray has been involved with the Alaska Fire Service. He’s done it all, from hotshots to fire service specialists to his current position as logistics coordinator, so when he started telling stories of fire and flames and helicopters and remote lands, I was intrigued. He suggested I sign up for a variety of jobs and crews, in particular the North Star Fire Crew. Long story short, I was accepted as one of the 28 starting crewmembers for the North Star Crew and began to try and get in shape for the physical test on the first day. Even with all of Ray’s great advice, I still had no idea what I’d signed myself up for.

The North Star Fire Crew is the preparatory crew for the hotshots, in particular the two Alaska Fire Service (AFS) hotshot crews: Chena and Midnight Suns. Chena and the Suns are known for being hardcore, productive crews and ranked among the top in the nation. Therefore, the purpose of the North Stars is to introduce rookie fire fighters to strategies and physical demands of a hotshot crew and see if it’s still of interest. On average, over half of the North Star crewmembers quit or are fired. As we learned quickly, fire fighting is not for everyone. At the end of the season, 12 of the 28 remained.

In order to adequately recount the whole summer, I’d have to write a novel. You can pack a lot of action into three months of sixteen-hour work days. So instead I’ve compiled a list of personal highlights:
• Travelling around interior Alaska by helicopter
• Becoming somewhat capable of handling a chainsaw (I was teased for being one of the slowest sawyers on the crew but take note- I never once nicked my chaps, which not everyone can brag)
• Reaching a personal best in upper body strength (If Aliy compliments my forearms, that’s saying something!)
• Lighting a chunk of forest on fire with drip torches only to be chased out of camp by that same fire later that night
• Living in a tent for 14+ days at a time with one pair of clothes and no showers
• Working with fun, motivated guys all summer long, who challenged me to push myself more than any other job I’ve ever had













In the end, the North Star Crew was one of the most rewarding experiences to date. I received the North Star stamp for a hotshot recommendation with the reminder to not talk so much, refrain from laughing at inappropriate times, and remain focused all season long (ie don’t start talking about dogs and racing when the fire season is nearing it’s end). A big thanks to Ray for getting me started with AFS and all the wonderful advice.


With summer gone and snow in the air, dog sledding is life. I’m once again working with Aliy and Allen; however, they’ve offered me the opportunity of a lifetime. This March, I’ll be taking a team of SP Kennel dogs in the 1,000-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race (www.iditarod.com). This has been a long term goal of mine, so I couldn’t be more thrilled about racing the Super Bowl of dog sledding with such phenomenal dogs. Training is in full swing, the ground is frozen, and temperatures are dropping. From fire to ice.

As you'll see in the video, the adult dogs aren't the only ones getting ready...