Lauro Eklund Biography: Mountain Men Star, Alaskan Musher, Net Worth & Racing Career

Lauro Eklund is an Alaskan musher and wilderness guide known for his work with sled dogs and appearances on reality television. He first appeared in National Geographic’s Yukon River Run and later featured on Mountain Men, where viewers saw glimpses of his remote lifestyle and dedication to mushing. Lauro’s journey began as a teenager, when he bought his first dog for $600 and a few quarts of firewood. Since then, he has built a working kennel in Two Rivers, Alaska, and steadily grown his presence in mid- and long-distance sled dog racing, including the Iditarod and Kobuk 440.

Lauro Eklund – Wiki Bio Facts

Field	Details
Full Name	Lauro Eklund
Date of Birth	September 11, 1996
Age (as of 2025)	28 years old
Place of Birth	Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Hometown	Two Rivers, Alaska
Nationality	American
Profession	Dog Musher, Wilderness Guide, Television Personality
Known For	Mountain Men (History Channel), Yukon River Run (National Geographic)
Kennel Name	Skookum Expeditions
Years Active	2014–present
Father	Neil Eklund (Veteran musher, trapper, Iditarod finisher)
First Sled Dog	Annie – Purchased from Lester Erhart for $600 and firewood
Major Races Completed	Iditarod (2024 – 26th place), Kobuk 440 (2025 – 5th place), Yukon Quest
Awards	Sportsmanship Award (Yukon Quest 550, 2023)
Television Debut	Yukon River Run (National Geographic, 2015)
Net Worth (est. 2025)	$250,000
Marital Status	Not publicly confirmed
Children	Not publicly confirmed

Early Life and Family Background

Lauro Eklund was born on September 11, 1996, in Fairbanks, Alaska. He grew up along the Yukon River and in the surrounding regions of Fairbanks and Anchorage. From a young age, he was immersed in the wilderness lifestyle, often traveling with his father, Neil Eklund, a veteran Alaskan adventurer and two-time Iditarod finisher from the 1980s. Summers were spent floating on log rafts down the Yukon, and winters revolved around trapping and dog sledding. Lauro’s interest in dog mushing developed naturally—his father used sled dogs for transport and trapping, and the stories of old-time mushers left a lasting impression.

Career

Lauro Eklund’s career centers on traditional Alaskan subsistence living. Over the years, he has built and maintained a kennel of more than thirty Alaskan huskies, most of which he raised and trained himself. His sled dogs serve multiple purposes: guiding remote tours, assisting in hunting and trapping, and competing in long-distance races. Lauro co-operates Skookum Expeditions in Two Rivers, Alaska, with his father, offering wilderness tours and mushing experiences. His daily routine includes hands-on labor, dog care, and backcountry travel, all grounded in a deep respect for the land.

In the off-season, Lauro supplements his income through various means including wilderness guiding, construction, marijuana and peony farming, and summer glacier sled dog tours. He’s guided clients on both overnight camping runs and glacier excursions. Prior to establishing his kennel, Lauro appeared in the National Geographic documentary Yukon River Run at the age of 18, which helped fund his early mushing efforts. He also models for the outdoor brand Filson and continues to participate in promotional shoots and campaigns. As of 2025, Lauro Eklund’s estimated net worth is approximately $250,000.

Dog Mushing and Racing Career

Lauro Eklund began mushing during his senior year of high school after buying his first sled dog—Annie—for $600 and a couple of quarts of firewood from Lester Erhart in Tanana. In either 2013 or 2015, he handled dogs for Lance Mackey, gaining exposure to Mackey’s training practices gaining exposure to Mackey’s training practices during his time in the kennel. Over the years, Lauro incorporated bloodlines from Lester Erhart, Joe Garnie, Ryan Olson, Mitch Seavey, and Mackey’s “Ninja” dogs. His kennel—maintained for nearly a decade with the same 22 core dogs—began transitioning between 2024 and 2025 with the addition of two new litters.

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Lauro began entering local and mid-distance races in Alaska, steadily building his credentials. In the 2022 YQ200 (Yukon Quest 200), he ran a competitive race, finishing with 11 dogs out of 12 and expressing satisfaction with his dogs’ performance and condition. By 2023, he competed in the Yukon Quest 300 and the Copper Basin 300, describing the latter as one of the most enjoyable races he had done. During this period, he gained attention for his disciplined schedule, inspired by traditional long-distance strategies used in the Iditarod and earlier Quest formats.

Lauro received the Sportsmanship Award at the 2023 Yukon Quest 550 and was recognized for the “Funniest Finish” at the Copper Basin 300, when snow fell on him from the finish banner. Despite being pulled from the Quest 550 due to non-compliance with a competitive pace rule, Lauro highlighted the experience as a learning milestone and praised his dogs’ strong comeback late in the race.

In March 2024, Lauro completed his first Iditarod, finishing 26th. The result mirrored his father’s rookie placement in the 1981 race. His father, Neil Eklund—a two-time Iditarod veteran—greeted him at the finish line and signed him in at the Ruby checkpoint. The moment was particularly meaningful for Lauro, as Ruby held personal history from his youth when he ran his first small team into the village at age 18.

Later that year, in December 2024, Lauro entered the 2025 Kuskokwim 300, describing it as a longtime goal and a way to fine-tune his dogs for future Iditarods. The announcement was followed by confirmation that his 2025 race season would also include the Knik 200, Copper Basin 300, Quest 250 or 450 in Canada, and the Kobuk 440.

In the 2025 Kobuk 440, Lauro placed 5th—an impressive improvement from his Red Lantern finish in 2023. The performance reflected the progress in his kennel and highlighted Alder, a lead dog acquired from Wild and Free Mushing. Alder led the team alongside another veteran dog, helping maintain pace across challenging terrain in the Northwest Arctic, an area closely tied to Lauro’s family mushing history.

Lauro continues to train and collaborate with fellow mushers in the Two Rivers community, including Riley Dyche and others, using shared trails and coordinated group runs. His training philosophy emphasizes a calm, disciplined team that conserves energy at checkpoints and performs reliably under pressure. His long-term goal remains to build a self-sufficient racing kennel that honors Alaskan mushing traditions while continuously improving in competitive performance.

Television Appearances

Lauro Eklund joined the cast of Mountain Men in Season 12. The show, produced by the History Channel, highlights individuals who live off the land in remote parts of North America. Lauro appeared alongside his father, Neil Eklund, showcasing their traditional trapping lifestyle and dog-powered wilderness travel. In addition to Mountain Men, Lauro and his father Neil Eklund were featured in the National Geographic documentary Yukon River Run, which chronicled a wilderness expedition along the Yukon River.

Mountain Men

Across Seasons 12 and 13 of Mountain Men, Lauro Eklund was featured participating in a variety of wilderness-based tasks. These included trapline work, long-distance dog sled travel, and subsistence efforts carried out along the Yukon River with his father, Neil Eklund. The series presented a practical view of Lauro’s seasonal routines and his preparation for competitive mushing.

In Season 13, the show followed Lauro through the stages of Iditarod preparation and competition. He was shown conducting extensive training runs, managing equipment challenges, and maintaining the condition of his sled dog team under extreme winter conditions. The footage documented the logistical and physical demands of racing in Alaska’s interior, while also reflecting his operational approach to dog care and trail navigation.

Wife and Children

As of now, there is no publicly confirmed information available about Lauro Eklund being married or having children. Most of his public presence and social media updates focus on his dog mushing career, training routines, race participation, and the lifestyle he leads in Alaska. If such details emerge in the future, this section can be updated accordingly to reflect accurate and verifiable information.