Alaskan Husky Adventures: Where Every Day is a Dog Day...And That’s Ok!
Liz Raines and Matthew Failor pictured at their wedding in “dog days“ of summer… (Photo courtesy of Liz Raines)
Of all the things that can happen when you are interviewing someone, nothing is more satisfying than to be interrupted by a business call...or at least when this call comes through on the interviewee’s side. Then again, what did I expect during an interview with Liz Raines, who along with her husband , champion dog sledder Matthew Failor, launched a new, booming business, Alaskan Husky Adventures. Delightfully, and unsurprisingly, the interrupting call brought with it nothing but great news.
“Sorry about that,” said Liz. “We just had another booking.”
The story of how Liz and Matthew came to start a venture together is remarkable, spans multiple continents, and at times feels like something drawn straight from a fairy tale. Born on an air force base in Japan, Liz moved to Alaska with her family when she was young, and experienced a classic Anchorage upbringing.
“There was always something exciting happening at our house,” said Raines. “Lots of commotion always. I played sports and was involved in a lot of extra curricular activities.”
Liz attended Service High School in Anchorage, where she took on her first job at 16. “My very first job was at a place that many people who will read this will know of,” said Raines. “It’s still around today and it’s called H2Oasis. I worked as a lifeguard, and I earned the money for my first car.”
After graduating, Raines went on to study journalism in Europe, studying in Spain, France, and Belgium through the Erasmus Program. After completing her undergraduate degree, Raines found herself working for Reuters in Belgium, but she wanted to go in a different direction.
“I decided that I wanted to work as a reporter,” said Raines. “I was working with the Reuters office in Belgium but I was just going out and gathering video and sending it out to affiliates. Following my dream of being a reporter, I decided that I only wanted to do that in Alaska, because we have such cool and unique stories and I could fulfill a service in my community.”
Raines returned to Alaska and took a job with KTVA, a homecoming which would lead her to meet her husband years later.
Born and raised in Ohio, Matthew Failor came up to Alaska as an undergrad. “He had a friend who had worked a summer job in Juneau,” said Raines. “He had worked on a glacier at a dogsledding camp and he said to Matthew ‘you would really enjoy this, you should try to get out and get one of these jobs before you graduate’. He grew up in a dog-family, and he specifically was always very attached to the family dog, Maggie, so when his friend shared this opportunity, he was very excited.”
Matthew applied for an opportunity to work with a dog sled camp and was accepted. What started as a summer job quickly evolved, and Matthew soon found himself moving up the ranks, from a handler to leading tours for guests. Soon after, he got a job working at an Iditarod kennel in the winter, while continuing with the glacier operation in the summertime. In these roles, Matthew worked with his mentor, four-time Iditarod champion Martin Buser, a man whose Kuskokwim 300 record, Matthew would go on to shatter years later.
The story of how Liz and Matthew met is worth at least an entire article in and of itself, and if you don’t believe me, then perhaps the New York Times will do a better job of convincing you. Raines had been covering the political beat for KTVA but was randomly selected by her boss to cover the Iditarod. “I love this story so much...it felt like destiny” said Raines. “I showed up early to learn who was who. I was standing next to the stage at the starting banquet and here comes this really handsome musher and he very confidently smiles at me and says ‘What is your name?’ I just remember our eyes locking and I didn’t even know what to say.”
The next day, at the ceremonial start, Liz bumped into Matthew again. “I was trying to get an interview and I heard someone yell ‘Hey! Hey!’ from across the street and I looked up and it’s Matthew who asked ‘When am I going to see you on the trail?’ Two days after the race he messaged me and we started dating. In fact, he brought three dogs to our first date and ‘Cool Cat’ was one of them.” It is important to note here that “Cool Cat” was an absolutely adorable dog who made a few cameos during the interview. A cool cat indeed!
Although Raines was not sure if she would stay in Alaska long term, she opted to remain, and in January of 2020, Failor proposed to her at the finish line of the Kuskokwim 300, where he had broken Mr. Buser’s record the year before. The couple were married in July 2020.
In September, 2020, KTVA went off the air and Liz’s time as a news anchor ended, but for her and Matthew, this unfortunate event had a silver lining. They were now able to launch their own business in November: Alaskan Husky Adventures, which offers year-round dog sled rides, tours, and wedding packages.
While Liz and Matthew had been leading dog sled tours for other organizations, since November, they have been leading their own tours as Alaskan Husky Adventures. When they launched in November, the couple’s goal was to book at least one outing per week. In their first month however, they managed to far exceed even their wildest expectations, booking more than 40 groups. “The timing was great,” said Raines. “We launched right as we were entering the holiday season. A lot of people could not leave the state and wanted to do something cool. Our very first tour was with someone who had gone on tour with Matthew before and was a repeat customer, which was the highest compliment that we could get.”
Meeting the dogs that make up the 17th-Dog racing team is just the start for visitors. All of the dogs have either participated in the Iditarod or are actively training to compete in the race. Guests are treated to an absolutely incredible experience.
“From the moment that guests arrive, they are greeted by howls and dog kisses and they meet the team. Then we get them ready to go and head out on our private trails. Guests will not see other people out on the trail, and some have shared that this allows for them to have a really immersive experience.”
Guests can choose whether to ride with an experienced musher or learn to drive their own sled. Adventurous guests are paired with an experienced musher, such as Iditarod veteran Kaci Murringer, who also takes people out on tours. Kaci’s knowledge helps guests immerse themselves in the experience, and they are encouraged to pick her brain and ask questions.
Alaskan Husky Adventures is in full swing not only in the winter, but year round. When the snow disappears, guests will be treated to a dog sled ride using specially made German-wheeled carts, which allow for them to take in the private trail with incredible Denali views. At the end of each run, the dogs are turned loose to run around and play with guests.
Looking ahead in 2021, Liz and Matthew are hoping to expand into the wedding industry, providing an “Alaskan way to tie the knot”, but for now they are taking things one day at a time.
“It has been so rewarding to own our own business,” said Raines. “I never had ambitions like this but it has been incredible and exciting to see the business grow. All of the hard work that you put in comes right back to you. If you’re willing to work hard, then you have everything to gain.”