One of my favorite television programs is “Sunday Morning” on CBS. This past Sunday they had a segment on the sled dogs of Denali National Park. According to the program, and to the park’s website, www.nps.gov/

dena/index.htm, Denali is the only national park that has sled dogs as a part of the staff. Each year, there is one litter of pups. This year, in honor of the centennial of the National Park Service and of the centennial for Denali in 2017, there was a “birthday litter.” The pups were named Hundo (short for one hundred), Pinata, Party, Happy and Cupcake.

The park keeps about 35 dogs and these are used to patrol the park. Summer is the time for training, and for giving demonstrations to visitors. In the winter, the dogs work where motorized vehicles can’t, which is just about everywhere in the park. The park has only one road, which limits where vehicles can go, and even off-road vehicles can’t always be used in winter. Over 2 million acres of the park is designated Wilderness. That means no motorized vehicles of any kind.

Even if motorized vehicles were allowed, when it’s 40 degrees below zero, many motors won’t start. A ranger on a machine could be stranded miles from the ranger station if a machine broke down, or wouldn’t start. Dog teams always start, and if one dog is injured, the others can still perform. Dogs can also work during a blizzard that might make it impossible for a plane or a truck to navigate.

During the winter, sled dogs are used to transport construction materials to ranger patrol cabins, to remove litter from the river area, and to deliver scientific monitoring equipment to remote areas. Winter visitors to the park who want to explore on skis or snowshoes use the trails made by the teams. Visitors can even bring their own dog teams for exploring.

The park uses Alaskan Huskies, which are long-legged, fast dogs, frequently crosses with other dogs, mixing northern breeds with other breeds that typically add speed. The dogs are small and lean, and are more a working dog than a family companion. A quote from the website www.vetstreet.com sums it up nicely. “An athletic owner who can fulfill (the dog’s) strong desire to run and pull will make this dog happy, but one who leaves the dog in the home or backyard with nothing to do will come home to a scene of epic destruction.” Remember the phrase “epic destruction” if you’re tempted to add one of these dogs to your family.

Other breeds of sled dogs include the Siberian Husky, the Alaskan Malamute, the Samoyed and the Chinook.

The Siberian is a medium-sized dog, weighing between 35 and 60 pounds, and used more for speed than for hauling ability. That job is generally left to the Alaskan Malamute. These dogs are powerfully built and were bred to move freight through the snowy wilderness. They weigh about 75 pounds. The Samoyed (pronounced Sammy-ed) is named for the nomadic people who used the big white dog to herd reindeer and to pull their sleds.

The Chinook combines the ability to pull heavy loads with more speed than a Malamute. It’s coat lies closer to the body than the other northern breeds, but there’s still enough to keep the dog warm.

All these breeds have a thick, double coat to keep them warm and dry, including big, fluffy tails which can cover their noses while they sleep, warming the air they breathe and protecting their noses from frost bite.

Another feature of sled dogs that helps them perform, and survive, in winter is their feet. According to the website, www.nps.gov/dena/learn/education/, sled dogs have special fats in their toe pads that helps prevent freezing and frost bite. This fat blend stays liquid at colder temperatures than the fats in the rest of their body. I can’t find this information anywhere else to confirm whether it’s true or not.

Many mushers use special booties to protect their dogs’ feet from sharp ice and other rough terrain.

I’m not much of a camper or a hiker, but reading about the dogs at Denali National Park make me want to book a flight to Alaska. I’d go in the summer and I’d camp as close to the kennels as possible, and hope that there were some puppies to see, as well as just spending the time watching the rangers play with, and train, the Alaskan Huskies. That’s my idea of camping.