Heather Jeske Pharr
Some kids beg to go to Disney World, some beg for a pony; as a kid, Heather Jeske Pharr begged to go winter camping (actually, she begged for a pony, too, but that’s a whole other story). For years she pestered her dad to let her go on the yearly trip to the woods outside of Ely. When he finally took her, she was hooked. Together, she and her friend Princess (the family dog), explored frozen swamps, built fires in waist deep snow, bombed down hills that weren’t really meant to be tackled on cross country skies, shared frozen snicker bars, and at night, enjoyed howling wolves and homemade chili back at camp with dad. Back home in Hudson, Wisconsin, Heather constructed elaborate harnesses out of dog leashes and rope, and a very tolerant Princess let herself be led around the yard towing an orange toboggan loaded with snow.
Not much has changed since Heather was a kid. She still prefers frozen swamps to soggy ones, and it’s no surprise when she comes home with stories of questionable skiing activities. She still enjoys a bowl of homemade chili and a good howl at night, and there’s usually a snicker bar or two in her pocket. As for those homemade harnesses, to save time, Heather now uses the prefabricated ones. But if the need arose, she is confident that she could still whip up a harness using whatever materials she found on hand. Since 2005, Heather’s delightful smile, resourcefulness, and pocket full of chocolates have insured that her trips are personalized and memorable journeys with fun-loving huskies.
In 2017 Heather was made the Countess of Dogs and Trails with Logs by the King of the Winter Carnival.
Colby was one of the greats. He traveled 4 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathons with me and countless training and camping miles. He was even featured on the front of the Beargrease poster heading out on the trail with all the relish and enthusiasm he possessed.
