Bean comes to us from SP Kennel’s coffee litter. She is a sweetheart and a goofball, and loves cuddles and ear rubs. She is also an expert bone hoarder and has secret stashes all over the yard. After stepping up during a misadventure at the end of her first season with us, Bean has become the team’s main leader, running up front for nearly every mile we’ve traveled over the last four years since.

(Nacho x Olivia) b. 2015

Toad hails from Ryno Kennel’s Mario Kart litter. He joined our pack in 2019 after spending his yearling year learning the ropes with Ryne’s experienced race dogs. He’s a cautious guy who takes a while to warm up, but solicits lots of affection from the people he trusts. He makes up for his small stature with enthusiasm, and is one of the calmest, steadiest, and most hard working members of the pack.

(Goblin x Ace) b. 2017

Ku, affectionately known as HaiKu these days, is a big powerful boy out of Judy Currier’s kennel in Two Rivers. Even as a yearling, he was driven and focused on every run and never lets his lines slack. For all his serious hard work, this gentle giant is a sweet momma’s boy who will curl up in a lap if given half a chance - even if he doesn’t technically fit.

(Toureg x Cinder) b. 2017

Kona is full sister to Haiku. She is a little shy around strangers, but cannot give you enough love once you have earned her trust. She’s vocal about her demands for attention in the yard, and a hard driving, powerful girl with endless energy on the trail. She whelped two litters of puppies here at Wild Root, and I couldn't have asked for a better momma dog.

(Toureg x Cinder) b. 2017

Saami is a ball of energy and enthusiasm for whatever comes his way - be it work in harness, or snuggles on the couch. As a three-month-old puppy, he taught himself to play fetch by watching Ersta. He’s a hard worker and throws his heart into harness, thrives bikejoring and is working on proving himself as a lead dog.

(Caswell x Kenai2) Summer 2018

Sahka is the pack sweetheart. Eager to please and happy to climb into your lap for a cuddle, she is confidant in harness and continues to work on her skills as a lead dog, although she is still very tempted to play with her teammates at stops!

(Caswell x Kenai2) Summer 2018

Hanners was a thoughtful, serious puppy. She was the first with the focus to dig all the way out of the puppy pen, but after a run-about came home to sit patiently by the front door for me to come home. As a lead dog, she is confident but head-strong about the direction she wants to take the team. When I put her in single lead for the first time in the White Mountains as a two year old, she turned the nine-dog team around to come find me, after I lost them while trying to care for an injured team-mate. She is a legend in the making.

(Bailey x Zig) Fall 2018

Taz has a sweet, earnest nature that wins over everyone who meets her. Her puppy klutz ways didn't cause her to miss a beat on her high energy romps and first runs. Incredibly social, she was the only puppy to figure out how to escape from the play-yard, and used her secret to go visiting her aunties and uncles at every opportunity her first winter. She continues to attempt to fill the Lead Dog Booties, but her ADHD (#relatable) has kept her in swing position for most of her career so far.

(Supai x Izzy) Fall 2018

This hunk of love is the biggest boy in the yard, towering above his dad and brother. Any time I need low-gear power in deep powder or brutally steep climbs he delivers, unwavering. He’s a old-soul, gentle and calm, and enjoys quiet evenings snuggling by the fire as much as running beside his siblings in the mountains.

(Saami x Kona) September 2019

Hailing from our very own Hardware Failure Litter, Bolt sports the deep red-and-black coat and cuddly personality of his dad. He’s an enthusiastic young dog with a steady, solid drive and sweet disposition. Always ready for a gentle snuggle or a long peaceful run, Bolt is a go-to wheel dog for his consistent power and positive attitude.

(Saami x Kona) September 2019

This snuggle muffing will win your heart, and then turn around to steal your pillow. She is all business on the line, and brings nearly as much power as her brothers with her into harness. But give her a crack at the comforter, and she's as likely to steal your spot in bed as pull you up that mountain.

(Saami x Kona) September 2019

This Big Friendly Giant is a goofy, soft-hearted love. He spends much of his spare time learning to imitate the noises of the forest animals around the kennel. This budding linguist is becoming proficient in Fox and Squirrel, and has recently taken up Ermine. Still a ball of chaos at hook-up, he is beginning to settle down and demonstrate what a powerhouse he will become as he matures.

(Cedar x Kona) April 2022

The second-smallest puppy from the Make Your Own Luck litter, Seven caught up and passed all but two of his siblings for size and is proving a calm, steady presence on the line. This wolfy boy is lanky and fast, and his soulful eyes hark back to the deep Hedlund roots in those bones.

(Cedar x Kona) April 2022

Rabbit scaled the puppy pen at six months, and jumped the seven foot dog yard fence from a standing start two months later. But by then it was too late to rename her. She's a smart, thoughtful girl (subtext: trouble!!) with a strong personality but the charm to fool kennel visitors into giving her all of the treats in their pockets, every time.

(Cedar x Kona) April 2022