![a dog mushing team pulls their sled and musher along a snowy trail with trees and hills in the distance](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_600/public/2021-12/Ruth%20on%20Kobuk.jpg?itok=v_aD0rsB)
Dogsledding was for generations the primary way Iñupiat traveled overland in the winter months. Today, dog mushing is still happening in Northwest Alaska, with winter trails being multi-use and shared by snowmachines, dogs, and the occasional skier or fat-tire bike. The Kobuk 440 is the dog sled race of note in the region, crossing Selawik Refuge along its route.