GAINING YUKON PERSPECTIVES TRIP ON RIVER PROVES EDUCATIONAL FOR ALASKA PROJECT CREW IN SEARCH OF ‘HUNTING, FISHING AND CULINARY ADVENTURE’ BY LAUREN SILVERS
O
ver a year and a half of planning went into assembling a powerhouse team of creatives excited to collaborate and bring an Alaska adventure story to fruition. Six outdoor enthusiasts at all levels of experience and with greatly varied areas of expertise and backgrounds came together from all parts of the U.S. to join forces with two expert Yukon River navigators, Jim Clark and Jared Dye, with the intent to experience a place none of them had ever ventured before – roughly 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The group went about as deep into Alaska as you can go for a hunting, fishing and culinary adventure. They entered as humble visitors in leaving their preconceived ideas and expectations on the airport tarmac in Fairbanks. They would learn everything they could from each other and the people they met along the way – native Alaskans who call this beautiful part of the world home and know this land better than anyone. The goal of the trip was to film from hunt prep to dinner prep the harvests of a bear and fish in the Alaskan wilderness in an easy-tofollow style that was entertaining and informative – even to those relatively new to hunting and fishing.
EXPERIENCED HOSTS Jared and Jim had many experience-based lessons for their visitors. They both encouraged everyone to be very aware of their surroundings. Jared told us about how long it had taken him to learn what to watch for as he navigates up and down the mighty Yukon River, things like how the contours of the silt and the curves of the riverbanks can change daily. Jared’s boat is designed to run in 5 inches of water when on plane – or, as the locals say, “on step” – which helps to maximize the boat’s gas mileage when the boat has the proper weight distribution. He has lived to experience just how fast water levels can change from feet to inches. As a truck driver on the infamous Ice Road, he learned to
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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL
OCTOBER 2020 | aksportingjournal.com
