Jennifer Probert-Erhart & the Alaska Dog Mushers Association
Jennifer Probert-Erhart has her hands full. She’s a competitive musher, a wife and mother, as well as a board member and longtime volunteer for the Alaska Dog Mushers Association.
She is 1 of a handful of energetic volunteers who dedicate many hours to ensure the community can enjoy the 30 miles of trails that begin at the Mushers Hall on Farmers Loop Road.
Many outdoor enthusiasts use those trails, including fat tire bikers, walkers, skiers, skijorers, snowmachines, and snowshoers. The Mushers Hall is also a center for sled dog racing. This year, it will host the 78th running of the Open North American Championship, the world’s premier sprint sled dog race.
“There’s a lot of history there,” Jennifer says. “Not only within the sport but within Alaska and the local community.
“If you talk to Explore Fairbanks, they will tell you that the most googled things are northern lights and dog mushing,” she says. “We don’t have much control over northern lights, but we do have some control over dog mushing. It is a huge attraction for tourists.”
The Alaska Dog Mushers Association was founded in 1948 and throughout the years has supported dog mushing, an activity that is rich in Alaska culture and tradition.
“Both my husband and I are Alaska Native,” she says. “I’m a 3rd-generation musher. My mom raced. My grandpa ran the mail with a dog team. My kids also raced.” She believes deeply in making sure that tradition can continue. That means she and her husband, Carl Erhart, dedicate many hours to the organization. Carl grooms those 30 miles of trails, with occasional help here and there.
It’s a labor of love for the couple, but the costs are continually rising and that is always a worry. “The really easy thing to do would be say ‘heck with it, I’m going to Hawaii,’” Jennifer says. “If we all did that, these things would go away.”
It’s not always easy. Sometimes, she’s prepping to race herself but her mind is distracted by making sure everything is running smoothly during the event at the Mushers Hall.
The Alaska Dog Mushers Association is a nonprofit organization that also participates in the Lend A Paw program and collects socks, hats, and gloves during events to share with those in need.
The Mushers Hall is a destination for not only tourists but visitors from other parts of Alaska. “Teams come from all over the world,” she says. “Germany, Canada, Norway, South Korea, and the Lower 48 — we are quite the attraction.”
Alaskans from south-central Alaska also come to Fairbanks to train dogs on the trail system, she notes. Recently, the Alaska Dog Mushers Association received a $6,800 grant from Golden Valley Electric Foundation’s Good¢ents program to build a series of kiosks along the trail system. Volunteers are now building those kiosks. As building costs have risen, they’ve had to scale back the number of kiosks.
The structures will be placed at different trailhead access points and include a trail map, information on trail etiquette, a race schedule, and instructions on how to behave when encountering a dog team on the trail. Trail users will also have an opportunity to support the trail system by buying trail passes. A QR code on the kiosks leads directly to the association’s website and offers a way to submit payment.
The association spends about $12,000 annually on grooming trails, and every donation helps with the cost. Trail users are invited to donate $75 for trail use annually or $5 per day.
“A lot of people don’t realize we are a nonprofit organization,” Jennifer says.
“I have a very soft spot for the organization,” she says. “I know what it does for our community, for our morale.” Game cameras put in place by Alaska Fish and Game show a “phenomenal” amount of trail use, including lots of wildlife, she says.
The trails, she adds, put people “in a different world,” making it hard to believe the trails are so close to town. “My husband will groom and has to make 2 passes at least,” Jennifer says. “On the second pass, he can see where a wolf has walked. You just forget we are really sharing this with all these animals. There’s a lot of multiuse.”
The Mushers Hall requires constant oversight. Sadly, there are always those who abuse the site. Sometimes abandoned cars are dropped off in the parking lot, which the association must then remove. Remarkably, someone once dropped off an entire building. The association has considered locking a gate to the parking lot, something board members don’t want to do. The hall itself is a community gathering place and is often used for weddings, memorial services, classes, and other events.
“It feels like a homey environment in there,” Jennifer says. This season, the association has already scheduled 3 preliminary races: 2 limited-style championship races known as the Gold Run February 17 through 19; the Annamaet Limited North American Championships March 8 through 10; and the Open North American Championship, a renowned sprint race, on March 15 through 17. Sometimes, it is all very overwhelming. Luckily for Fairbanks, Jennifer, her husband, and their fellow dedicated volunteers plan to continue keeping the Alaska Dog Mushers Association active and helpful to all trail users.
“I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. I love it,” she says. “Not only is it important to me, it’s good for my physical, mental, and emotional health to be involved in the sport.”