About
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore, my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song I will praise Him." --Psalm 28;7
About Joe and Jan
Alaskan Arctic expeditions began 35 years ago, in the small village of Wiseman Alaska, population 25 people. To quote Joe, "Our malamutes were used as the primary source of transportation in winter and were comprised mostly of dogs that were unwanted by other mushers because of various reasons including, too big and slow, or viciously mean but nonetheless they became part of our family and team." Eventually Joe's well trained team and his training skills caught the attention of movie scouts for the 1990 Walt Disney movie White Fang. Joe worked on the movie for three months as an actor double, dog trainer, stunt double, and sled dog coordinator but it didn't take long after the movie for Joe to lose interest in the Hollywood spotlight and return to his true passion- Arctic exploration by dogteam.
Since then, he has established one of the most resilient purebred Alaskan malamute dog sledding teams in modern times. Joe and his team of malamutes has taken dogmushing and Arctic exploration to a new level.
Never in recorded history has anyone traveled solo for 4-5 months in one of the most brutal environments on earth with a team of 22 dogs without resupply, or even so much as seeing another person for 5-months. Joe and his team has broken many dogmushing records and has accomplished what was said by many to be impossible.
Joe also is a pioneer in dog mushing and has perfected a method of travel that is unprecedented in modern times. Joe attributes his ability to travel and break new trail in 2-5 feet deep snow to his innovative training methods, gear, and his new sled dog hitch system. Joe attributes 100% success however, to his Alaskan malamutes which in his words "are the toughest minded and intelligent dogs on earth".
He shares a special bond with his team and each dog. To quote Joe, "All the dogs are part of our family."
"Ordinary dogs have accomplished extraordinary things because they didn't know they couldn't" -Joe G. Henderson-
Janice
As a child, Janice loved to solve puzzles. Now, as her life work, she practices
endocrinology where she solves the puzzles of human illness daily. She is fascinated by
the mind-body connection and nutrition believing that we can often heal ourselves by
eating healthy food and living an active lifestyle. One of her main mantras is "food is
medicine." She also believes in the healing properties of animals. In 2012 she expanded her medical practice to include her two goldendoodles, Cadence and Bella. They have helped countless patients over
the years.
Much like Joe, Jan is passionate about outdoor exploration. She is especially interested in nutrition during exercise, and back country cooking. She is often found in her kitchen experimenting with new combinations of foods in her quest to provide the best fuel for her body.
Joe and Jan's mission statement;
Most of us crave, hunger and thirst to be in nature's realm. However, in our "rush-to-nowhere" psychotic society where it's a race to the next traffic light we pass it by.
Many believe living with nature has different meanings. For example: nature might offer peace and tranquility to some. Or you might find it an escape from our hectic society. Or a way to become closer to God. Some people also believe that being in nature means all the things written above. Which is my belief and the reason my winter dogsled expeditions transpired into what it is today.
The thirst to be in nature and with God is unquenchable. But nature is around us to see and hear each day. We don't have to travel to the "ends" of the frozen earth to find it. However, we won't find it blaring from our car radio or in the news or social media. We won't find it hidden either. Whether we appreciate nature in the red afterglow of the setting sun, or we experience nature's aroma in willow budding in spring, or hear it in the rushing sounds of a sparrow's wings darting overhead, nature has a simple way of letting us know that it can be in our presence. If only we stop for a moment from our busy day, look around and listen, we will then experience it. Regardless of our age, health and where we live, we can seek nature.
It's our hope that you will follow Jan and I on our journey through God's great gift of nature.
