OUR WORK
ALASKA IVORY HUNTER
To purchase a copy of Neil Eklund's book, Alaska Ivory Hunter, please email us or visit our gift shop.
"This is a true history of the gift of the many adventures I've been able to enjoy in the magnificent state of Alaska. My life in Alaska transitioned from legal exciting and wild exploits to what has still been a life full of adventure, but a life that was at the edge of the law. Alaska is an immense wilderness. It doesn't need federal protection. It needs to be left under state control so that its bountiful resources can be harvested and developed responsibly as the state has always done. Federal interference in the affairs of Alaska, which already has a great state government, has actually had a terribly negative influence on all the people of Alaska."
competitive mushing
Neil has run two races: the Iditarod in 1981, and again in 1983. He completed the race both times.
Following in his dad's footsteps, Lauro has competed in a handful of mid-distance races (between 100-400 miles each) in the process of qualifying the kennel for the Yukon Quest and Iditarod.
He began mushing in 2015 with Lance Mackey, the same year he ran his first race - the Two Rivers 100.
Skookum wants to be competitive, but Lauro also loves the adventure of the sport and - above all - wants to finish with a healthy, happy team of pups.
yukon river run
Originally developed from an idea in Neil's article in Backwoodsman Magazine, miniseries Yukon River Run follows a group of log rafters traveling down the Yukon River.
Lauro and Neil star in this adventure series produced by National Geographic, which you can learn more about here and here.
arctic living
For generations, Alaskans have scratched out an existence in this vast state: from the shores of southeast Alaska, across the heartland, to the coastlines of Northwestern Alaska, to the Arctic Ocean - all the way down into the Brooks Range where our little community of Coldfoot lies nested into the Middle Fork Valley of the Koyukuk River.
People here in the arctic are adventurers, trappers, hunters, mushers, guides, and regular folks doing their best to make their mark in Alaska. We’re learning to combine modern day technology and the hands-on how-to knowledge of days long gone, all in a harsh but pristine landscape.
We here at Skookum Expeditions have a long history being out in the bush of Alaska. It’s our home, and our lifestyle. Neil Eklund came here in 1975 searching for adventure - and has been here ever since. Our family has spent most of our time in different parts of Alaska working and living. To this day, we try our hardest to continue living an authentic Alaskan lifestyle as subsistence fishermen and dog mushers.
We protect the future by honoring the past.
In joining us for a dogsled tour or a log raft adventure, you’ll get a tour that’s focused on the history of Alaska and the culture that has made Alaska what it is: The Last Frontier.
We believe that by showcasing the culture of the Alaska , we’re helping to preserve the land we call home for future generations and beyond.