Today we traveled to MukTuk to visit a facility that
cares for working sled dogs and retired sled dogs. They care for over 140 dogs at a cost of
$65,000 just for food. Considering the numbers of dogs it was impressive that they all looked healthy and well cared for. The dogs were
spirited but, loved the attention given by visitors. The owner explained that they use the dogs in
the winter for adventure tours using dog sleds on trails in the area. He said that they were almost fully booked
for the upcoming winter. 
In the past sled dogs were used to ship supplies to
remote areas that could not be reached by other modes of transportation. Today they are better known for dog sled
racing. The Iditarod is the best known race.
The teams travel 1000 miles in 10 days.
This is a challenge even today due to the extreme temperatures and the
rugged terrain. There is another race in
the area named the Yukon which is equally difficult and the previous owner had
raced and won that race.
After spending time with the dogs, we had an excellent
regional meal that included elk sausage, dried salmon, bison burgers, and
dessert.
Today is Canada Day which is similar to our 4th
of July. It was even a greater
celebration because Canada was celebrating 150 years of independence. The festival had several venues of
entertainment. There were also several demonstrations
by First Nation People. They
demonstrated how they made various canoes and kayaks which were covered by
animal hides. The artisans explained how
they used beads to decorate various articles and how they carve masks.
