Unnamed dogs roaming the woods of the sanctuary. - Talkeetna, Alaska 
Roadtrippin': Sled dog sanctuary
Hidden just off the highway, barely south of Talkeetna, stands a wilderness gem that dozens of dogs have called home: The Sled Dog Sanctuary.
Run by Raven Winter, a musher since 1997, the sanctuary is one part purpose, one part tradition, and many parts time.
"When they’re about three years old, they’ll hit their mental stage where they’re real comfortable and know what they’re going to do on the team," Winter said. "Their stability – sometimes it takes a little bit longer, which is why we never put any dog here on any kind of time frame."
Even more than that, this mission was built to be about love.
"We’ve all come from rough pasts, myself included," Winter said. "You’re real sympathetic to a lot of the issues they’ve been through. And they have gotten me through a lot."
Some of the dogs stay for a short time, while others stay for life. As of now, Winter has her hands full with 40 dogs - the maximum - staying on her property.
"A lot of people come here and say, 'Woah, there’s a lot of dogs here!'" she said. "But technically, our yard is pretty small compared to a lot of the other yards.