Teamwork and community take on a deeper meaning in times of crisis. And right now, so many of us are navigating wrenching challenges.
For decades I have guided dogsledding trips at Wintermoon. Some of you have been on those trips, and most of you have heard me speak about the wisdom of our beloved dogs. So it’s with a heavy heart that I share that wildfires in northern Minnesota have destroyed Wintermoon.
Thanks to Soph, our incredible on-site caretaker, all 26 dogs were evacuated, which was no small feat!! Tragically, her young dog Freddy didn’t survive the heat and stress. It’s a devastating loss, he was so sweet and full of energy. For now, Soph and the rest of the dogs are safe at a friend’s sled dog yard, far from the fires that continue to burn, as we begin to wrap our heads around what’s next.
When we returned to the property, the devastation was overwhelming. While a couple of structures remain, the main cabin, sheds, solar panels, equipment, and all of Soph’s belongings were lost. The air and ground are now laced with toxins. Cleanup and rebuilding are daunting.
Still, we know places like Wintermoon matter deeply—where phones take a back seat to connection with nature, and the only buzz is from insects, not alerts or notifications. And so, we are moving forward, breath by breath, trying to balance the need to act with the need to be still and sit with this loss. The support from longtime friends and strangers alike has reminded us of the power of community.
So many people are facing their own ‘fires’—events that turn life upside down. Crises have a way of breaking down barriers and highlighting our humanity. If there is a silver lining to all of this, perhaps it lies in experiencing our natural desire to help, to connect. It’s a time when we learn not just how to give, but also how to receive. We’re reminded that we are not in control, and that vulnerability is universal.
Those truths are heavy—too much to carry every day—so we often retreat to anger, distance, or distraction. But crisis calls us back to what matters: connection, compassion, and community. It shows us what we are made of and what we are capable of.
Whatever flames you may be facing, I wish you peace, safety, and the grounding sense of belonging. Let this be a reminder: community is everything. When we care for one another—teammates, loved ones, strangers—and stretch our thinking beyond fear or overwhelm, we unleash strength we didn’t know we had, like at the start of a run, when you pull the quick release and the dogs leap forward to pull the sled.
We can move from surviving to rebuilding … together
