Sled Dog - The Yukon Gold Rush- Dyea

Character Sketch and Background

Hi, my name is Misty and I am a female sled dog. I have a grey and white head and a grey body. My Tail has a little red in it. I am three years old but I’m as strong as any boy dog. My eye color is blueish-greyish, so it looks very ‘misty.’ My favorite food is salmon; I’ve been eating it since I was a little puppy! I am very energetic but try to avoid fights with the other dogs as much as possible. I love pulling sleds and was bred to. I am 90 % husky and 10% wolf. The wolf part is where the strength and energy comes from. I know how to lead the other dogs and follow commands so I was put in the front along with Alpha and Bushy. I hope to one day become the leader of the pack. (That will show those boys!)

I came to the Yukon when I was a little puppy, right after I had left my mother and was bought by a woman. The woman took me to a camp looking place with lots of other puppies like me. They were all boys though; so that stunk. Anyway, we were attached to ropes all in a big line, and at the end of the line, there was a sled; there was nothing on the sled, just all sled. Then She said MUSH! One of the dogs near the front started pulling, but no one else did. After a couple days, we all caught on and then the journeys began and different kinds of boxes and bags were loaded on the sled. It has now been three years since then and I still enjoy it.

Dear Journal,

Today me and the rest of the sled team are going to travel 130 miles to go back to Dyea. First we have our usual breakfast, salmon,(left) then we hit the road! (Or trail) Everybody is so excited over the gold rush. I don't really see the point, gold is just a bunch of brownish-yellow rocks; and they don't even taste good. Not that I've tried them or anything.....hehe. Our town Dyea is appearantly a big trade area for gold. I bet business is really booming! I can't wait to get back and see all the new Stampeders! I'm so excited! Anyway, on our way back I hope we see other groups of sled dogs. Even though they just turn their heads the other way and ignore me when I say Hi! I don't care. I'm just too good for them. Oh well, in our sled team, we have 9 dogs. I'm in front, right in the middle of Bushy and Alpha.(above) Bushy is a bit smaller than me, and Alpha is way bigger than me. We're pretty much the lead dogs. Anywho, back to reality. Right now, I'm taking note of all this while I am comfortably laying in my nest- bed. To make it, we dig dog sized holes in the snow, then lay in them. Eventually our body heat heats up the interior and we are warm and toasty. In a couple of minutes, everyone will start to wake up and then I'll have to leave my nice, warm bed to face the possible harshness of a new day. It's been about a year and some since I have become a sled dog. so I am much more endurant, and the days don't seem as harsh. As long as we stay in line with the rest of the dogs, stop at "Ho" and go at mush, and don't get in a huge fight with the rest of the dogs, I'm pretty much golden. (See what I did there?) Oh! I hear the dog sled leader telling the other dogs to wake up, gotta go!

-Misty

Dear Journal,

We have just arrived at Dyea after our 130 mile trek back to Dyea. Whoo! We are (pant) really, uh (pant) all really kinda (pant) tired after all the- (PANT!) MAN, I'M TIRED! Anyway, we're back in Dyea and our sled leader human is at the market buying fish for us to eat on our next trip. Preferably salmon; the other fish is for them. (The Humans) The trip back to Dyea was easier than when we left. The snow didn't feel cold on our feet, but the wind was a little chilly. Alpha kept trying to pull ahead and Bushy was too slow but it didn't spoil my mood. I was happy. Maybe my salmon tasted extra good that morning, maybe the other dogs didn't try to make a comment about me being the only girl, or maybe it was because I found a piece of meat in our sled leader's bag and ate it withought being caught. I don't know. I just felt...happy today! Well, I have to go see what's taking so long with our sled leader! He's taking forever. Talk about choice meat! I mean who's picky about fish? He's just going to be giving it to us!

-Misty

Dear Journal,

Ok, question. Do dogs have nicknames? I wouldn't know because I'm a sled dog and I never really lived the life of a real dog etcetera, etcetera. But I just gained a nickname. Our sled leader was talking to another human about me. The leader was saying stuff like yes, no, strong runner, leader type, fish, and wolfy. I think when he said wolfy he meant I am wolf like. But after that, all the other dogs started calling me Wolfie. The nickname eventually just stuck. It’s actually a cute name for me. Wolfie. Yea. Hm, well, today’s run went quite nicely. We went from Dyea to Skagway, and tomorrow we are going from Skagway to Juneau. Our team mostly delivers mail, hunts for gold, and does small tasks for stampeders. Doing those kinds of things involves having to go very far distances in very short time. We’re like mailmen….and task…..doers. Anyway, I think I have to go now because a new human has just entered our camp. He doesn't smell familiar and our sled leader took no notice of him coming in. It’s all getting very strange.

-Wolfie

JOURNAL,

PANIC! PANIC! PANIC! PANIC! I’M PANICING RIGHT NOW! THE GUY THAT CAME INTO OUR CAMP EARILIER TODAY CAME AND STARTED TAKING MEAT OUT OF OUR SLED LEADER’S BAG, BUT THEN OUR SLED LEADER SAW HIM AND RAN AT HIM WITH A CLUB AND THE GUY TOOK THE CLUB FROM OUR SLED LEADER AND KNOCKED HIM OUT THEN KIDNAPPED THE HIM!!!!!!!! WAH!!!! PANIC!!! Now all the dogs are pacing around trying to figure out what to do. Bushy dug a nest in the snow and cried, Alpha is still trying to calm everyone down, and I am panicly writing!!!! I don’t know if panicly is a word but I don’t care! THE SLED LEADER IS GONE! Without him, eventually all order will be lost and we will all go wild and run in separate directions. I DON’T WANT TO BE ALONE IN THE WILD! I mean of course I could take care of myself, but I still don’t want to live the lonely life of a lone wolf! (OR DOG!) You would think after all that sled dogs endure from their leader, they wouldn’t miss them, and they would be happy and live a life in the wild or find a family and be a real dog. But no, not me! What do we do?!?!?! Grayfur, Bushy, Alpha, Eski, and I have agreed to stay as a pack just in case any dog decides to leave the group for a new life. I am scared but am hoping for the best.
-Misty/Wolfie/PANICY DOG

Dear Journal,

We still haven't found our sled leader, but we have all come to one conclusion. We can't all be together because we were only together in the first place so we could be a sled dog team, but now that that is over, we can't all still bundle together. So we all separated into mini- packs. Grayfur, Bushy, Alpha, Eski, and I have set out towards Juneau's general direction to find a place in the forest that can serve as a permanent settlement for our pack. We decided to name our pack "The Alaskan Wolves", too! We are now currently at a resting point on our journey. We are more than halfway there, and if we run fast, we can make it there before sunset. I hope this new life is exciting!

-DA MISTER!!! (Misty)

Epilogue

"The Alaskan Wolves" traveled far and wide across Alaska and encountered many different sled teams. Eventually we all broke up and went our separate ways. After I went solo, I met a male husky named Onyx that had broken away from his sled team. We were both found by a Canadian couple who took us into their home. After a year I had 7 adorable puppies who I named Nikki, Bandit, Meeka, Lupin, Amani, Akira, and Loki. (Left) I had a very happy life.

-Misty, Onyx, & Akira, Loki, Amani, Lupin, Nikki, Meeka, and Bandit!