From PdC to Alaska: Ulrich’s work with dogs takes him to far corners

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Jaren Ulrich shows off the view from a dog sled in Alaska, where he works for Alaskan Husky Adventures, a dog-sled tour company. (Submitted by Mike Ulrich)

By Steve Van Kooten

 

Adventure can take people to some of the most unexpected places.

For Jaren Ulrich, 30, a former Prairie du Chien resident, his interest in working with animals and desire to travel took him from the heel of Wisconsin to Willow, Alaska, where he works with a dog sledding tour company.

Ulrich graduated high school in Prairie du Chien after relocating from La Crosse when he was 15. He worked for Tender Care Animal Hospital before trying his hand at non-aminal-care-related work.

“I was young and trying to figure it out. I was working odd jobs all over,” Ulrich said. 

Eventually, he returned to animal care, saying, “I got out of it and realized I missed it, and that was my path in life.”

He continued, “After a few years, I realized I missed working with animals, and I moved up to Madison to work at some kennels up there. Then I started searching for more animal-related jobs.”

While searching for jobs to broaden his horizons, Ulrich found listings for dog-sledding jobs. He connected with Matt Failor, owner of Alaskan Husky Adventures, a company based out of Willow, and took a job as one of the handlers and tour guides.

“He pretty much said he would teach me everything he knows, and he’s been a great mentor for me, and I’ve learned a lot from him,” Ulrich said.

Failor is also a veteran dog sledder. According to Ulrich, Failor will participate in his 14th race this year. 

As one of the dog handlers, Ulrich is almost part of a pit crew, but instead of switching out tires and car parts, he ensures the dogs are taken care of and prepared for races, which can take routes that are several hundred miles in length.

“I had to drive to every single checkpoint with all of the food and gear for the dogs and for Matt. I had to stay with [them] while he rested and look after the dogs,” Ulrich said.

“Pretty much we just take care of the dogs, feeding. We run tours during the day, and we do all of the training throughout the year,” Ulrich said. “Every week or so, we just work our way up in mileage... it’s just keeping them at the steady mileage throughout the winter.”

These 100- to 200-mile races help prepare the team for the Iditarod, which Ulrich called Alaska’s Superbowl. The Iditarod is a 1,000-mile dog sled race that takes place each spring and remains the ultimate test for a dog-sled team.

“On the actual Iditarod, there are volunteers that help during the race because there’s no access roads anywhere through the whole race,” Ulrich said.

Ulrich compared it to the NFL championship game for a reason: it’s one of Alaska’s biggest and most iconic events.

”It’s huge. Two days before the race starts, they have a big ceremonial start. We’ll drive all of the dogs through downtown. It’s a big party and celebration,” Ulrich said.

Despite his previous experience working with animals, Ulrich had to adjust to working with Alaskan huskies. He does more than train them for competition; he manages the dogs’ well-being and quality of life. He added that the dogs’ professional lifespan starts at six to seven months old and ends at around eight years old. After retirement, the dogs are taken in as house pets. Ulrich said he has adopted one himself.

When asked if he is considering entering the Iditarod as a “musher” in the future, Ulrich said, “A thousand miles is pretty brutal, so maybe in the future, but right now, I want to try a few smaller races.”

Ulrich said that his decision to relocate to the far north took his family by surprise.

“They were kind of freaking out — it was all kind of just last second, too. I didn’t really tell anyone that I was thinking about leaving Wisconsin for a long time,” he said.

After he arrived, his life required some adjustments to keep in touch with his family — Wisconsin is three hours ahead of Alaska.

“When I first got out here, family would try to call me at three or four in the morning when they were just getting up. We just have to plan stuff out more.”

Living in Alaska is much different than urban Wisconsin in other ways, and Ulrich had to make some lifestyle changes.

“Before I came out here, I was working in Madison, a big city with lots of stuff to do,” Ulrich said. “In Willow, it’s 45 minutes to the nearest town, so it’s really remote.”

He enjoys the summers, when the region experiences nearly ubiquitous daylight and reasonably comfortable temperatures. During the winters, it gets a “little colder than Wisconsin,” and there’s only a few hours of daylight.

“A lot of people think it’s cold and dark all of the time. November through December, we only get daylight from 10:30 in the morning to about three in the afternoon, so you’ve got to find something to keep you busy, and the dogs keep us busy every day,” he said.

In the past four years, he’s returned to Wisconsin a few times to visit family, but he has no plans to give up his life in Willow. For now, he wants to continue living and working with the dogs, running tours and taking advantage of the unique opportunities Alaska can offer — where else in the world can you go on a daytime hike at midnight?

“Right now, for the foreseeable future, I’m definitely going to be staying up here,” he said.

It’s clear that Ulrich has done ulright for himself.

Find out more about the Iditarod and follow the contestants at iditarod.com.

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