Traverse City native Deb Smith is one of six individuals chosen to embark on a 10-day expedition across the Brooks Range Mountains in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska on April 20-30, 2015.

The group will be led by Joe "Malamute Man" Henderson, who will use a team of 22 Alaskan Malamutes to haul gear and supplies across roughly 120 miles of wilderness. The six-person team will keep pace on skis and snowshoes, covering rugged and unmarked territory and camping at night in conditions that typically range from -10F to 5F. In a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the trip's costs, Smith - an employee at Interlochen Center for the Arts - describes the expedition as a "dream come true."

"The beautiful, stark landscape will challenge my mind, body and soul," Smith says. "This will be the most challenging and difficult experience of my life to date, but without a doubt, one of the most rewarding."

Smith so far has raised $2,273 of her total fundraising goal of $3,500 to help cover the expedition.