Rosebud Adventure
/Recently, the whole human crew (Kalyn, Mandy, Derek, and I) took a day adventure up to Rosebud summit. Accompanied by three dog teams, one snowmachine, and one crazy Griffon (Sasha) we climbed up to Rosebud, searching for caribou along the way.
The Fortymile Caribou
The Fortymile Caribou herd travels throughout eastern, Interior Alaska and crosses into Canada. During last year’s Quest, I shared videos of the dogs chasing caribou down the Yukon River, as the strange critters came hurtling right at the dog team (or in the video I joked it was because of my newfound ability to call in caribou after listening to our pet reindeer). See the video below. Portions of that same herd are now on the other end of the Yukon Quest trail, near Two Rivers and Rosebud Summit.
The Fortymile Caribou herd is one of the most important resources for many First Nations and Native Alaskan communities. In the early 1900s, it was one of the largest herds in the world and had a far-reaching habitat as shown by the graphic below. The herd has varied in size over the past 100 years with its peak in the early 1920s of 500,000+ animals to a low of an estimated 5000 in 1973. Biologists believe the changes in size are due to reduced nutrition from overgrazing, predation from wolves, and excessive harvest of caribou by humans (more roads made for easier harvesting combined with incorrect population estimates). With the herd at abysmal numbers, Alaskan and Yukon officials worked together to better manage the herd. By 2002, the herd had grown in size to 46,000 and for the first time in fifty years, the herd crossed the Yukon River by the Fortymile River, once again expanding its range into Canada. In 2017, the population reached almost 80,000 animals; however, biologists believe this is likely the herd’s peak based on current environmental conditions. In an effort to reduce long-term impacts to the environment from overgrazing, Alaska Fish and Game has increased the harvest quota for this year. Hunters must submit the lower jaw to ADF&G so biologists can reassess the herd’s nutritional condition.
Before the word got out that the herd was so close to Chena Hot Springs Road, we decided to try our luck hunting by running the dogs up to Rosebud. I would call it a 80% mushing trip, 20% hunting trip. While we would be opportunistic should the caribou cross our path, we were more interested in just getting outside, mushing with the dogs, and seeing Rosebud in the daylight. I’ve mushed this section of the Yukon Quest trail SEVEN times and never once seen it in the daylight!
As I was looking for the video of running with the caribou during the 2020 Quest, I passed over this Rosebud view from the plane. So I guess I have seen it in the daylight! Ha!
The caribou stayed just out of reach during our mushing adventure, so we didn’t bring any meat home for the freezer, but wouldn’t you know, we had to slam on the brakes as a couple caribou crossed the road on our way home! More than anything, I love seeing all the tracks and sign left by the caribou. I’m not a biologist, but it seems like life and diversity follow the caribou wherever they go. Whether we’re in the Brooks Range with the Porcupine Herd or in Two Rivers with the Fortymile Herd, there is SO MUCH LIFE. In addition to the caribou tracks, wolf, lynx, fox, and moose tracks crisscossed the trail. And for a few moments, as we held onto our sleds behind beautiful huskies, our faces wrapped in fur of wolf and wolverine, our hands toasty inside mitts made of beaver fur, smelling the musky odor of caribou hiding in the black spruce, I can imagine myself living in a bygone era, at one with nature, traversing the Arctic.
DISCLAIMER- I tried to get all this info from reputable sources (government sites and research papers). That being said, I am not an expert on the Fortymile Herd. This info was researched to the best of my ability, but I’m just a girl blogging about things I like.
