- Interview
A Love for 26 Dogs, 1,000 Mile Trail, and the 49th State
- A Conversation with musher Josi Thyr
- By Alyssa Petit
February in Fairbanks creates a story of resilience and passion, where the love between a musher and her dogs meets the challenge of Alaska’s unforgiving winter. Josi Thyr’s journey from dreaming as a nine-year-old girl to standing out in the world of dog mushing encapsulates this narrative. Her recent transition to Fairbanks and her remarkable third-place finish in the 2024 YQ300 spotlight not just her skill but her dedication, fostered amidst the challenges of temperatures that dove below -40°F at this year’s Yukon Quest start.
This story sets the stage for Josi’s next challenge: the Iditarod. This legendary 1,000-mile race is more than a testament to physical endurance; it embodies the journey of the heart, showcasing the profound bond and love between a musher and her team, even in the harshest conditions.
Following Josi Thyr’s remarkable journey, I had the chance to speak with her. Fresh from her third-place finish in the 2024 YQ300 and nearing her first Iditarod, Josi reflects on two decades of dedication to dog mushing since she was nine. Here’s our conversation about her experiences, the deep bond with her sled dogs, and her thoughts on facing the Iditarod:
Alyssa: It’s great to talk to you today! I know I’ve been enjoying the warmer weather.
Josi: Yeah, it’s a little warm — a drastic change from what it was a week ago
Alyssa: Absolutely! Thank you again for taking this phone interview. I’m calling from FairbanksAlaska.com. We recently launched this new platform to showcase our community through authentic storytelling, offering an in-depth look at the people, places, and experiences that shape the unique character of Interior Alaska.
With the Yukon Quest just ending and the Iditarod coming up, we knew we wanted to do something involving mushing, but when I started doing my research, I noticed you are one of four Fairbanksans competing in the upcoming race, and the only novice — which I wouldn’t have expected considering your third place achievement in the Yukon Quest. Before I get ahead of myself, how did it feel not only to compete, but to finish an hour ahead of your personal schedule.
Josi: It was pretty exciting. I think with the Quest — having heard a lot about it just from mentors and people over the years and all the racing I have done here — the focus has been towards Iditarod. We were basically using this as training for where we were hoping to be. In that sense, it was really exciting to be ahead of schedule.
When I’m out there, I don’t necessarily know where I am at, so as I went through Central, I was like, “Oh!”
Brent was ahead and Eddie was right behind — obviously he was going to pass us when we stopped to rest. Having some wiggle room was pretty nice. So yeah, it was very exciting. I think, to me, the Yukon Quest was kind of what I was expecting for an Alaskan race — with the cold and the rugged terrain and the mountains — it’s kind of getting a little bit of everything.
I had a blast out there and I think the dogs did, too. This is my first winter up here racing — I handled for Aaron Burmeister quite a while ago — but actually bringing my dogs up and living here now is all new for them and for me. They’re skittering across the glare ice, like “what do we do with this?!” and it’s like, “It’s okay, guys! You’re doing great!”
So, it’s been a great challenge for me and for them.
Alyssa: Well, happy first winter on that note!
Josi: Thanks
Alyssa: Okay, so the content theme we are focusing on this month is love, which is fitting with tomorrow being Valentine’s Day. I had a chance to visit your blog, and based on that and what you’re telling me, it is evident that you really love what you do. As you mentioned, you transplanted up here — from Idaho I believe?
Josi: I did. I grew up in Northern Idaho.
Alyssa: What made you first love dog mushing and how did that bring you up to Alaska the first time?
Josi: As a kid, I always loved animals and I really wanted a horse, like a lot of eight or nine year old girls. My parents were an adamant no. So, when we were living in Idaho, I wanted to get a dog. We had a family pet dog, but she was a little older and aggressive so I couldn’t really do a lot with her. I ended up with a Siberian husky and got involved with 4H, and met some dog mushers.
When I was nine, I read a book about Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod. That was the first time I was like, “Man, I wanna do that!” But I just had my one dog, so as I did a couple of overnight races and we actually got some camping and stuff, I thought, “This was fun! I want to do more.”
Once you meet some mushers, especially if it is something you’re interested in as a kid, everyone is super welcoming. I helped out at the local kennel and people would give you dogs, or “Oh, you need a sled? Here, someone has a sled!”
At seventeen, I was looking for someone I could learn from. That’s when I came up to Alaska the first time, and I spent the winter handling for Aaron in 2011-2012. Obviously, Nenana is very, very cold, so I got quite acclimated to the cold weather and running dogs a lot and just getting very, very comfortable being out there. I went home and I ended up buying quite a few dogs and started building my kennel from there to what I have today.
I knew I wanted to come back to Alaska at some point, but being right out of high school, I went into insurance. I had a good job doing that, and that kind of kept me down in the lower forty-eight for a while, and I’ve always kind of said to myself that, “You can either do what you love, or you can work a job in insurance and all your spare time is afforded to the dogs.”
So, I’m running dogs at night and things like that. That’s what I did for a while. I had the opportunity to do tours, so I pivoted towards that. I interviewed at a couple of different places in the lower-forty eight and Juneau as well. That kind of got me back to Alaska. It’s not as easy as one would think to find a place where you can bring twenty-six dogs.
In the meantime, while doing tours and different things, I met Jessie Royer. She’s been a huge mentor and support and helped tutoring me on how to train and run dogs — she’s run the Iditarod twenty times. I got to know her and that led to an opportunity to move up here to Fairbanks through her. Now, I’m here!
I am so, so excited — I love it. Coming up here when I was 17 for the first time — Alaska just kind of gets in your blood. Maybe not for everybody, but for me at least, it was like, “Alright, I want to come back. I want to live up there.”
Even if I didn’t have the dogs, I would still want to be up here. I don’t know how to explain it, there is nothing quite like it. There is something really special about running the dogs on the Quest on Birch Creek when it’s forty below and you’re thinking about the history of these dogs — they’re doing what they love and what they’re bred to do. That is part of what makes it so much fun to run these dogs; I love being out there, but they love it even more. Even on days I’m like, “Yeahhh, you know, I could pass. It’s a little cold or it’s windy or snowing or whatever,” the dogs still want to go.
Alyssa: Well, I am glad that both you and the dogs love it up here. What do you think it is about living up here in particular? What do you think about the people? The community?
Josi: It’s very hearty people. Being up here, I think about how Northern Idaho — it’s grown a ton — it had a kind of small-town feel. People would help each other. I feel like it’s like that in Fairbanks, maybe partially because of the weather and stuff. The old timers have lived here all their life, and then you have a lot of us who have moved from all over, and it’s just a really fun conglomeration of people with different perspectives and backgrounds. I have really enjoyed getting to learn from so many different people, whether it’s through tours or just in grocery stores. Everyone helps each other. If someone gets stuck on the road, you’re gonna stop and help them out, even if you’re in the middle of nowhere.
From the mushing perspective, I was always kind of the only musher in my area, so I would talk with Jessie, but there really weren’t a whole lot of people. Mushing up here, the community of mushers has also been absolutely amazing. I don’t know if I would have made it through these last couple of races without so much help from people who have lived here and who are mushers. They helped me when the truck caught on fire or the different things that I need for racing — it has been absolutely incredible. Hopefully I can give back as well.
Alyssa: So, do you think you are going to stay up here long term?
Josi: That’s the plan. I don’t plan on leaving Alaska if I can help it.
Alyssa: It is hard to leave once you’re here for all of those reasons and then some.
Josi: Yeah, I am definitely planning on the long-haul.
Alyssa: I’m with you. Okay, so you just completed the Yukon Quest in preparation for the Iditarod. What are your main goals for that race? How did the Quest help prepare you to meet those goals?
Josi: The goal for me this year is to kind of set out on a great adventure and see how it goes. I’ve had a lot of great advice and help getting ready, but at the end of the day, I have no idea how I’m going to be with sleep deprivation. Or the dogs — how will they look after 300 miles? I think the main goal is just going and learning to roll with the punches throughout the race and see how it goes!
I’ve talked to people a lot about the trail and what to expect and things like that, but I think sometimes you have to just go for it and see how it goes. Weather and trail conditions are such a huge factor in dog mushing.
Even on the Yukon Quest, we ran into a little bit of overflow. Brent and myself got through and didn’t see any overflow, but Eddie was soaked and he was between us. Sometimes the conditions vary that fast. Really, my goal was to finish with as many happy and healthy dogs as possible and just take it from there.
Alyssa: Absolutely, that is drastic! Wow. Okay, so I have some rapid fire questions to end this, if that’s okay?
Josi: Yeah.
Alyssa: And don’t worry, it’s rapid fire questions, not answers. Take your time. How do you typically go about naming your dogs?
Josi: I do themes. I have two females that most of my kennel comes from, so I usually have themes so I can remember in ten years who was related to who. I have the race horses and I have kind of the more Western type theme. Some of the dogs come from other people — like Boomer — I have no idea the theme for that one.
Alyssa: Some oddballs!
Josi: Yeah, it’s fun. I try to make sure it’s fun and something fairly easy to say. Sometimes, especially when we get tired out there, if you’re training your handler or something, it can get a little confusing.
Alyssa: Okay, question two. How do you keep your hands warm while you’re mushing?
Josi: I make sure that I layer my core pretty well. I tend to get cold — compared to most people I have to wear more layers. I usually wear liner gloves, to make sure I don’t touch anything, especially when it’s colder than ten degrees. Then, when I take off I put on a dry, thicker glove. Beaver mitts are great, I use those a lot. Or an even heavier glove — they aren’t beaver mitts, but they are huge. You feel like you can’t even grab the sled.
As long as I’m careful when I take my hands out that I’m wearing gloves or a liner or something when fixing dog booties or something, and that I brush off my hands so they are not wet with snow.
On the Quest, when I was getting tired, I had some extra hand-warmers I would throw in, but they don’t seem to really work that well. Plus, if your hands get too hot and you sweat, then you get cold. Layering and keeping dry is the most important.
Alyssa: That is great practical advice I will just use anyways. Okay, three. What is the best post-race meal for you and for your dogs?
Josi: I give them a lot of trail-snacks that we have. The dogs like pork-belly, beef — beef is always the favorite. I usually give them a lot of snacks right away that are easier to eat, and a couple hours later I’ll give them more of a meal. When they’re done, they want to go rest for a little bit after a lighter snack. It’s kind of the same when I go running, I come in and I might want a snack and to cool off and stuff like that before I eat a big meal.
My favorite meal ever that I’ve had post-race was a really good homemade macaroni and cheese with barbecue pulled pork on top — it is pretty hard to beat.
Alyssa: Mmm, that speaks to the soul.
Josi: Yeah. If I can’t get that, you know, a good warm burger. The Quest, it ends in Central, and in this little restaurant/bar there, they provided a meal for each musher. I got a burger and fries and that was pretty good, too. Anything warm, when it’s really cold, that’s lovely.
Alyssa: Now I’m hungry. Thank you for your time today, Josi! This has been super fun and informative. Is there anything else you think people should know, sort of based off of what we have been talking about?
Josi: This is the only thing I would add, especially for people up here.. Coming from Northern Idaho, a lot of people don’t realize that there is mushing outside of Alaska, and I think that as a young person out there — if there is something you want to do and it seems like you’re not in the right place for it, you slowly work towards it. This has been an almost twenty year process for me to get here, but the great thing is once you start working towards something, doors open and it is well worth the effort. If there is something you want to do, go for it and see where it goes. You might change on the way, you might decide you want to do something else, but it is always worth chasing your dreams.
Alyssa: I couldn’t agree more. Thank you, and thanks again for your time today.
Josi: Of course.
Alyssa Petit
Hey there! My name is Alyssa, and just a month after receiving my diploma at the University of Kansas with a degree in visual communications, I traded the flatlands for a life in the Last Frontier with my husband (no, there were no ruby slippers involved nor is my husband made of tin). As a Fairbanks transplant, I quickly embraced and became part of this extraordinary community. I’ve found the people here are a unique blend of resilience, inspiration, creativity, quirkiness, and above all, passion.
My life's passion is to create on purpose. I believe that language, in both its spoken and visual forms, intricately shapes human consciousness. My mission is to contribute to the crafting of a world where everyone feels safe, heard, and empowered. And where better to embark on this journey than in the state of beautiful extremes! Here's to creating a world for us all. Cheers!
P.S. I enjoy painting, I have caught some really cool fish, and I make perfect soft-yet-chewy bagels.
Alyssa Petit
Hey there! My name is Alyssa, and just a month after receiving my diploma at the University of Kansas with a degree in visual communications, I traded the flatlands for a life in the Last Frontier with my husband (no, there were no ruby slippers involved nor is my husband made of tin). As a Fairbanks transplant, I quickly embraced and became part of this extraordinary community. I’ve found the people here are a unique blend of resilience, inspiration, creativity, quirkiness, and above all, passion.
My life's passion is to create on purpose. I believe that language, in both its spoken and visual forms, intricately shapes human consciousness. My mission is to contribute to the crafting of a world where everyone feels safe, heard, and empowered. And where better to embark on this journey than in the state of beautiful extremes! Here's to creating a world for us all. Cheers!
P.S. I enjoy painting, I have caught some really cool fish, and I make perfect soft-yet-chewy bagels.