Life Below Zero

After months recovering from her injury in town, Sue Aikens returns to Kavik and must deal with the damage of four months away from home. The Hailstone family sets up their camp for the summer along the Kiwalik River. In Nenana, Jessie Holmes repairs his boat for the summer fishing season ahead. And Glenn Villeneuve hunts for small springtime game in the Brooks Range.

In Kiwalik, the Hailstones construct a rack that will hang the season’s hunting and fishing catch. In Nenana, Jessie Holmes races to complete his smokehouse to take advantage of the summer salmon run. In Chandalar, Glenn Villeneuve searches for a long lost cabin that may contain valuable supplies. And in Kavik, Sue Aikens works hard to reopen camp for her first clients of the thaw.

Glenn prepares for his fall sheep hunt by scouting for the animals and building a camp that he can return to. In Nenana, the river waters have dropped, and with the chum run soon to arrive, Jessie races to get his fish wheel into the river and operating properly. And in Kiwalik, Agnes and her son, Jon hunt for seals in hopes of stockpiling their freezer with meat and oil for dark winter.

In Kavik, unexpected electrical issues put Sue Aikens in danger of missing out on her delivery of critical supplies. In Nenana, Jessie Holmes tries his hand at net fishing to feed himself and his team of sled dogs. And Glenn Villeneuve takes advantage of the newly broken up lake in the Brooks Range to access a variety of resources.

In Kiwalik, the Hailstones cross the ocean to pick up a new motor and boat in Deering to help them harvest salmon. In Nenana, Jessie Holmes rushes to get his fish wheel fully operational for the summer salmon run. In Iliamna, Erik Salitan flies to a remote area to embark on a black bear hunt. And in Kavik, Sue Aikens must refill her freezer for the long winter ahead.

In Kiwalik, the Hailstones Chip sets out to gather wood for materials to help the family preserve their food, while Agnes and the girls gather berries for the winter ahead. In Nenana, Jessie does squirrel maintenance around camp to protect his dog food supply. In Wiseman, Erik and Martha head down the river in search of Arctic Grayling.

With her injury leaving her unable to shoot from her right side, Sue Aikens travels to Fairbanks to get left-handed weaponry for the winter ahead. In Nenana, Jessie Holmes constructs new doghouses for his team of sled dogs. And Martha Salitan ventures out onto Lake Iliamna in hopes of taking advantage of the final days of duck hunting season.

The end of the thaw provides Alaskans a brief respite before winter’s fury is unleashed. Jessie journeys upriver to scout for future hunting and fishing locales. In Iliamna, Erik and Martha have one last chance to load up on salmon before they return to Wiseman for dark winter. And a generous gift provides Sue Aikens with the motivation to build a smoker to preserve her winter meat supply.