CHS Graduate Quits Job to Pursue Alaskan Adventure

Drake attended the church Emmanuel Episcopal while living in San Angelo where he was presented with the opportunity to go on a mission trip to the Navajo Reservation in a town in Northeast Arizona called Tsaile. The impoverished community is characterized by mountainous hills and high elevations, according to Drake. He did odd jobs to get by like building decks, roofing, trimming trees, and pouring concrete.

Drake explained how he began his journey, “I remember I reached out to someone at the church and they told me about this opportunity called  Coolworks.com. This was essentially a search hub offering seasonal opportunities and adventurous jobs for people who are interested in the great outdoors.” Drake felt this was a clear sign and the most practical option to bring his dream to fruition since the company paid for travel and provided housing, meals, and ongoing support.

Sometimes you can find jobs way up north near the Arctic such as fly fishing, mountaineering, and guide fishing, according to Drake. He said, “The first thing I searched for was for jobs in Alaska. The first job I found was located in Skagway, working for a company called Alaska X where I was introduced to dog mushing. I was immediately all in. The very next day I quit my job sold most of my material belongings and embraced the minimalist lifestyle that is most conducive to a life of adventure."

According to Drake, his job as an informational tour guide for Alaska X required him to become well-versed in the history of dog mushing in Dyea. During these daily tours people were shuttled out to the location in busses where they were led through the territory by experts who informed them on the history of dog mushing. 

Drake reported that dog mushing was initially invented during the Alaskan gold frenzy out of necessity. During the lat 1800s and early 1900s, sled dog travel proved to be a practical and effective mode of transportation for miners in search of gold since its versatility allowed them to reach trecherous and remote locations. As sled dog mushing became a common form of transportation in Alaska, explorers, miners, and sled dog racers were convinced that the Husky dog breed was optimal for sled dog racing.

Skagway today is entirely supported by cruise ships. This is how Alaska X can do tours like ATVs, dog mushing, and zip-lining.

During the summer of 2023, Drake worked up near the glacier in Alaska for a well-known dog mushier named Martin Buser. Drake worked alongside Buser's handler Mike Domine who is also a dog musher who recently competed in a 300-mile race.

This experience influenced Drake to pursue dog mushing more seriously and eventually motivated him to compete in this first race, the 2024 Idaho Sled Dog Challenge. The 100-mile race will be held in Cascade Idaho on January 30th. Drake said that this would be his first competitive race and that he would compete with nine other mushers. According to Drake, every race has a purse and the amount of prize money depends on the size of the race. The first-place purse for the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is estimated to be around $1500.

The 2024 Idaho Sled Dog Challenge is expected to yield lower-than-normal snowfall but trail conditions are expected to be adequate to run the race. However, race operators could potentially modify some of the routes, according to race founder and organizer Jerry Wortley. Wortley summed it up when he said, "Sled dog racing is a challenging sport often run in extreme weather conditions, but the absence of weather this winter has presented even greater challenges." Drake said that the announcement regarding the lack of weather and the news about sub-optimal course conditions is concerning but 

Drake explained how he has prepared for the competition, “I'm currently training with a guy named Clayton Perry and I am his handler. Perry owns all the equipment, the sled, and the dogs.” Perry is a well-known musher who has been racing dogs for over 10 years. He is ferried with another well-known musher named Doug Swingley who is a 4 time (in a row)  Iditarod champion, winning titles in 1995,1999, 2000, and 2001.

The Iditarod race is 1500 miles long and is the biggest in the world, nicknamed “The Last Great Race.” This prestigious race held in early March travels from Anchorage to Nome Alaska. Mushers and teams of twelve to fourteen dogs,  of which at least 5 must be on the towline at the finish line, are required to cover the distance in eight to fifteen days.  

Drake emphasized the difficulty level of the famous Iditarod race explaining that even mushers with many years of experience and many races under their belts have trouble completing the monster race. Being new to the sport of dog mushing, Drake feels that he has prepared himself both physically and mentally and hopes to perform and represent San Angelo well during the upcoming Idaho Sled Dog Challenge.