Life Imitates Art: Local Film Maker Gets Sled Dog After Making Movie

Those who know local filmmaker, Jeremy T. Grant, aka The Timber Cross, know he seems to never pass up an opportunity for adventure, no matter how tough, our out-there it might be. The other thing that people know about Grant is that he manages to capture some of the most amazing shots of these amazing adventures.

Last year, he released a film about an adventure he took two winters ago.  "True North Legends Of Dogs And Men" was filmed during the throes of the Covid pandemic, when most people were staying to themselves, inside. Grant went instead, out into nature, as he tends to do, and the results are nothing short of spectacular.

He spent time with a local Maine Musher and went on the adventure of a lifetime...

As Grant explains, it all started with a phone call...and then he was off to meet a complete stranger.

"I had never met the musher before the trip but got an email from him a few weeks before he left and it was too good of an adventure to pass up!"

"The next thing I know it's -17 degrees and I am deep in the Allagash wilderness waterway sleeping in a hammock by a campfire as the snow falls and trekking along and meeting some of the most amazing people that stepped up to help this be possible."

"The Musher Jonathan Nathaniel Hayes is such a smart tough well-spoken man that was a true honor to meet and he and I will be brothers for life after this trip. "

"We had the chance to stay at some amazing hunting camps like the roadhouse along the trails back in the day."

"The whole time my mind is being blown by all the amazing information I am learning about the history of mushing and the amazing Seppala Huskie. "

One of the things Grant found really captivating about these dogs, is that they all shared one common lineage, that of a very special and legendary sled dog, Togo.

"The dogs are all Descendants of Togo which is epic!"

According to the American Kennel Club, Togo was one of the hero dogs that saved the Alaskan village of Nome from succumbing to Diptheria, by making a grueling 674-mile trek to collect the medicine that ultimately saved everyone.

"Gave me a true love of the sport and respect for the massive amount of work that goes into training these amazing animals. "

"These dogs are amazing and love to run more than anything!! So many people think it's mean but it would be truly cruel not to run these dogs its what they live for! "

"We traveled from Front Kent to Greenville (the map showing the backcountry route) The trip took us 7 days. He traveled a total of 285 miles to film it all I had over 1200."

"Some nights got as cold as -17 before wind chill."

One of the incredible stops the filmmaker was able to make was to a place not many get to see, a place of ghosts...

"Those trains are the Allagash ghost trains. Massive full-size steam trains in the middle of the Maine woods. Hard to get to normally most people take the trek by canoe in the summer going down the Allagash river other snowmobiles not eh winter We had the chance to visit this spot by dog sled! I have a little video about the trains too. I believe that was day 3 in the 7-day trek as well."

You can watch Grant's movie, "True North Legends of Dogs and Men" right on Youtube by clicking here. 

Grant was so inspired by his experience, he actually adopted a sled dog of his own named Aurora.

"I did I got a dog named Aurora she's amazing and training for the Iditarod with him now! Here as a pup and her now same lighthouse 8 months apart :) "

And Grant's not the only one with Iditarod Dreams. The musher from the movie is getting in on that action, too.

"Jonathan the musher is now on the road to the Iditarod and just got back from Alaska completely his first 300-mile qualifying race the willow 300."