The Alaskan Husky sled dog is as much of part of Alaska's "last frontier" image as the grizzly bear, bald eagle, humpback whale, or the orca.

While sled dogs have been used for thousands of years by native Alaskans, Harry Karstens is as responsible as anyone for bringing sled dogs to Denali National Park in the 1920s. Karstens purchased the first seven dogs for the Denali National Park Kennels in 1922, single-handedly using them to create boundaries and chase poachers, among other duties.

The kennels are celebrating a centennial year with a series of events stretching through the summer.

"Actually, we already started our celebration throughout the past winter with updates of materials and exhibits," said David Tomeo, Kennels Manager at the Denali National Park and Preserve. "For our first event, we re-enacted Karstens's first trip to buy the first dogs."

The centennial events include extensive outreach to classrooms and local Boys and Girls Clubs.

But the kennels also received the ultimate honor when their dogs participated in the opening of the legendary Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race earlier this year.

"They didn't run the race," Tomeo said. "But we were the first dog team to run down the starting shoot down 4th Avenue (in Anchorage). It was sort of a send-off for the racers. We had people cheering us on a beautiful sunny morning."

As part of the centennial celebration outreach, the kennels will hold five summer camps as well as a reunion in August for all those who have worked at the kennels. For the public, the kennels will be open for tours and even a chance to pet the dogs – if the canines are in the mood for such affectionate gestures.

Despite the ability to know and love the dogs, Tomeo said he never had a favorite.

"Oh, my goodness, I couldn't venture a guess," he said. "In the past 30 years, we've probably had 30 dogs a year. Right now, our dogs spend nine years with us and retire to adoptive homes. But they all have different personalities. I may have a favorite among categories, younger dogs, and goofball dogs.

"But you definitely see the lineage from Susie, the matriarch who brought the Alaskan Husky bloodline to our kennels. Susie was an amazing lead dog, and we have a number of lineage lines from her, going back to the '70s."

Tomeo noted that at one point during the kennels' history, Malamutes were used for duties at the kennels, such as clearing debris. But Malamutes didn't work out. As a result, the Alaskan Husky became the dog of preference.

Susie's progeny is key to the activities at the kennels as the park has moved toward a policy of moving away from the use of snow machines and helicopters. Dogs are the best way to navigate the two million acres of the designated Denali wilderness.

The irony lies in the fact that during the 70s, two decades after snow machines were introduced, the common thought was that dog sledding was obsolete because the machines could get you just about anywhere. But in 1964, the Wilderness Act was passed, and mechanized travel was restricted.

"We had dogs just so people could see dogs. Then, dogsledding became more popular, especially with people living off the land' and 'using the old ways,'" Tomeo said. That gave the kennels new value since no snow machines could go into wilderness areas.

"The Wilderness Act helped repurpose our role here. Now we are the only way to get to the wilderness areas. Things is that country are pretty much the way they've been for thousands of years."

Prior to the pandemic, more than 70,000 people visited the kennels, and last year the number dropped to 52,000. Tomeo said they're expecting record crowds this year in part because 45 miles of road in the park are closed because of an avalanche. That means bus tours are limited in their meandering tours.

"Bus tours will be shorter, so people will have more time on their hands," Tomeo said.

While the kennels have been functioning for 100 years, there were times when the dogs had other duties.

"All the dogs were taken during World War II," Tomeo said. "There were a number of years when there were just a few dogs here."

As for 2022, the centennial celebration will continue with events through the Fall.

"Very early, park rangers realized that visitors were asking about the dogs, and wanted to see them," Tomeo said. "That outreach continues to this day. We're no longer chasing poachers or putting up boundaries."

The kennels are open to the public seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through mid-September. Check out the National Park Service website www.nps.gov for more information about this year's activities.