Meet the Mushers

Hi, I’m Gabriel Alvarez — Sheep Creek Manager, dog musher, whitewater raft guide, and all-around outdoors guy. I’ve spent every winter in Moran since I started at Sheep Creek, running dogs, wrangling, and sharing the wild with awesome people. I graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with mushing. My dream? To race in the Iditarod one day. Until then, you’ll find me on the trail, on the river, or swapping stories by the fire.

I have previously lived in the Caribbean and South Florida for 22 years. After receiving my B.A. and M.B.A for Business Management, I worked as a Financial Analyst for 15 years. However, the thought of life in a cubicle for the next 30 years was terrifying. I left my finance career to pursue my childhood dream of fix-wing aviation. I have had many dogs in my life since childhood and a chance encounter with Gold Rush Dog Tours has opened my heart and soul to the incredible world of sled dog mushing; working as a musher will continue to finance my ongoing flight education. My lifelong obsession with dogs and flight has finally become a dream come true!

I’m from Atlanta, Georgia and I’m on a personal journey to become a Sled dog Musher and potentially race in the famous Iditarod Sled dog race. My journey started in August of 2022 aboard the Princess ship, the Majestic Princess with my parents, younger brother, and Aunt for a 7-day Alaskan cruise. On our stop in Juneau, I discovered the world of dog sledding through the excursion with Gold Rush Dog Sled Tours and from that day on, I was hooked. I left my career of being a mechanic to pursue working with sled dogs. I worked in Juneau in 2023 and 2024 before working as a dog sledding guide in Colorado with Snow Buddies Dog Sled Adventures winter of 2024 and 2025. My ultimate goal is to run the Iditarod within 5-6 years, but if I end up with a bunch of dogs on some property out in the middle of the woods, I would be completely fine with that outcome.

I grew up in Minnesota. I followed in my two older sister’s footsteps and started dog sledding in 2015. Shortly after, my sisters and I started our own kennel of Alaska Huskies, called True North Sled Dogs. In 2020, I took sole ownership of the kennel. I continue to raise, train, and race Alaska Huskies. I am excited to spend the season doing what the dogs and I love to do. Where better to run dogs than in Alaska!?

I was born and raised in Georgia. And because I couldn’t stand to be in Atlanta much more, it drove me out to Alaska to hang out with dogs instead! Best decision I’ve ever made! I’ve mushed long enough to stay up right on trail, but not long enough to stay out of trouble. I’ve been traveling the west coast for some time developing a deeper relationship with God, and striving to share that bond with others.