About us

Jillian Rogers was born and raised near Brockville, Ontario, Canada. She graduated from college in photojournalism and moved to Northern Canada after school to work at small newspaper as a sports reporter/photographer. Part of her duties were to write about dog sled races in the winter and after several years, she was bit by the mushing bug. In 2004, Jillian took a leave of absence from her job to live north of Fairbanks, Alaska, and learn from Iditarod veterans Ken Anderson and Gwen Holdmann.  After that, she knew she was hooked. She moved to Northern Finland in the fall of 2005 to guide multi-day mushing trips in the Finnish wilds with a tourism operation there. She returned to Alaska in early 2006 and stayed in Fairbanks where she started building her kennel. She worked for Alaska Excursions Mushers’ Experience in Skagway, Alaska, giving summer dog rides and interpretive talks in the summer of 2008 and has even flown her dogs into the Brooks Range north of Fairbanks for a multi-day adventure with clients.
Now, she lives 16 miles east of Homer in the foothills of the Caribou Hills where the training is tough and the trails are abundant. She still writes occasionally and is currently working on a book.

Rich Savoyski grew up in Chanhassen, Minnesota, and after a couple years at Montana State University decided to put his studies on hold in search of adventure. He worked for Spirit of North Sled Dog Adventures in Ennis, Montana, during the winter and Alaska Excursions Mushers’ Experience in Skagway, Alaska, during the summers. After a winter stint working for Iditarod veteran and Yukon Quest champion Sebastian Schnuelle, Rich moved to Big Lake, Alaska, where he ran dogs for Greg Parvin, an Iditarod veteran. Rich finished the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race with Greg’s dogs and stayed on in Big Lake for another season.

Jillian and Rich moved to the Homer area in the Spring of 2009 to work for Iditarod Champion Libby Riddles and now live just down the road from her where they’re training for upcoming 200- and 300-mile races.