Mushin' mission from Russian Mission

In 2004, Luke Sampson scratched after a moose stumbled through his team during the Fur Rendezvous World Championship Sled Dog Race.

On a training run a few days ago, Randy DeKuiper's dogs tangled and his hand got caught in the line; the last joint of his right ring finger was severed in a single twist as 20 frantic huskies lunged in different directions.

There are plenty of such eye-popping stories among the competitors in this year's Rondy races.

But the wildest comes from Ryan Housler of Russian Mission.

Housler may be the only man in history -- certainly the only Rondy sprint racer -- who's been treed by a wild musk ox.

The terrifying encounter last Dec. 20 was unusual in several respects. Usually a skittish species (they're actually sheep, not oxen), this one chose to fight rather than flee when caught alone and facing impossible odds. Musk oxen are extremely rare along the lower Yukon River, preferring open tundra. The appearance of one in country where any trees grow at all -- much less a tree big enough to climb -- is unheard of.

"It was the first time I'd ever seen one," Housler said while feeding his dogs Thursday. "I didn't even believe it -- until it attacked my team."

Housler, 32, was welcomed by officials as "new blood" in the venerable Rondy race, one of just four rookies in this year's field of 22. (Another is Ryan Redington, a grandson of Joe Redington Sr.)

No less important is the fact that he's from the Bush.

"My dogs are all village dogs," Housler said at Tuesday's bib draw, to murmurs of approval from the crowd.

FROM THE VILLAGE

Time was that statement would have been true about every dog in every race.

The best racers -- George Attla, Carl Huntington, Jimmy Malamute -- often hailed from villages. But today's mushers tend to live in or near Alaska cities. Only two other racers, both veterans, live off the road system: John Erhart from Tanana, and Sampson from Kotzebue, which is among Alaska's biggest communities, with more than 3,000 people.

In contrast, Housler's home town of Russian Mission, population 363, is truly a village. But the mushing tradition there is strong, and local races take place throughout the season.

Housler has been at it in a serious way for five or six years. He helped at Ricky Taylor's Fairbanks kennels while his wife, Darcy, was getting her teaching degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Most of Housler's dogs, including his 6-year-old female leader, Nikki, are from Taylor's line.

Since then he's made a name as a speed musher, winning the 65-mile Akiak Dash during the Kusko 300.

But he's long set his sights on the Anchorage race.

"Early this year I kinda hinted (around the village) that it was my dream to do the Rondy," he said.

VILLAGERS, OTHERS PITCH IN

Round-trip for himself and two handlers, John George and Norman Housler, plus the dogs was about $3,000. That doesn't include hotel, meals, registration and so forth.

The average annual household income in Russian Mission is $27,500. A fifth of the population lives below the poverty level. But the town dug deep, with contributions coming from the city, tribal government, local racers' association, family and friends.

Not just cash, but stuff.

George loaned six of his dogs to the team, plus the travel kennels and other items.

Fellow musher and friend Shane Goosen of Wasilla is letting him use his dog truck, which is housing the team in the Executive Suites hotel parking lot this weekend.

Jumping into the race was a last-minute decision, Housler said. "I only had two or three days' lead time. My wife hates that I pick up and go to these races on short notice. But I have to live by the weather."

Darcy Housler, nee Kameroff, from Marshall, teaches fifth and sixth grade in Russian Mission. She and Ryan have four children, all boys.

As the weather threatened to warm and possibly snow Thursday, Housler evaluated what the conditions might mean for his team.

"These dogs like colder days," he said. "But snow doesn't bother them. We get lots of snow in Russian Mission."

THE MUSK OX ATTACK

The team had the look of lucky dogs -- especially those that came out of the musk ox encounter alive.

He was returning home from a training run on a narrow part of the portage trail between Russian Mission and Kaltag when suddenly he saw the musk ox in the same trough, facing his team. It charged.

"They don't use their hooves," he said. "They use their horns. He put his head low to the ground and swung it side to side."

Before the stunned driver could react, it was hooking and hurling his dogs.

"I looked around and saw a birch tree," he said indicating a trunk about two feet in diameter. "There was a low branch I could just reach. I pulled myself up and told the dogs to hike and they got out of there."

But the sled was damaged and two dogs, including a leader, were mortally wounded.

He was found by a friend, Peter Alexie, passing by on a snowmachine. Shortly after that Peter Minock found and shot the musk ox. The horns, hide and meat were salvaged and distributed in the village.

"I got a chunk of three or four pounds," Housler said.

It was a pretty expensive plate of food. Four of his dogs raced with Goosen's team last year. Only three are back; the fourth was one of the dogs that was killed.

LOOKING FORWARD, NOT BEHIND

But mushers aren't whiners. Sampson has returned for this year's race. "I hope my luck'll be better this time," he said.

DeKuiper isn't letting a little thing like a missing finger keep him off the trail either at the Rondy or a series of other races that follow.

He concluded his recounting of the digit-lopping accident with a smile and a note of relief as he said, "But none of the dogs got hurt!"

Similarly, Housler is putting bad memories behind him in his quest of the greater goal. He doesn't expect his village dogs to best the phenomenal team of defending champion Blayne "Buddy" Streeper, looking for his sixth win, or the formidable challenges posed by former champion Egil Ellis, Bill Kornmuller, Arleigh Reynolds or others.

His mission is simple: To do himself, his dogs and his hometown supporters proud.

"I want to do my best, and whatever my best is, that's where I'll finish. But I'm not going to be last."

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Reach Mike Dunham at mdunham@adn.com or 257-4332.