Musher, Lauro Eklund, has built his life around Alaska’s original mode of transportation: the dog team. The son of a rogue Alaska adventurer, Neil Eklund, Lauro grew up exploring the remote and rugged interior with his father, and living on a log raft they’d float down the Yukon River every summer. Inspired by his dad and other old timers, Lauro acquired his first sled dog and began mushing as a teenager. Over a ten-year period, he grew his kennel to more than thirty Alaskan huskies. Lauro uses his team for hunting, trapping, guiding backcountry expeditions, and running competitive sled dog races – including the famous 1,000-mile Iditarod. Caring for and training the team for trips like these is a year-round occupation, and requires gathering resources from the land. It’s not glamorous work, the conditions are tough, and the days long, but it’s what Lauro loves, and what he’s built for.