Yukon River Run

2015 • National Geographic Channel
4.7
15 reviews
TV-14
Rating
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (8)

1 Profit or Peril
7/20/15
On Alaska’s Yukon River, three crews prepare for the journey of a lifetime. They build giant log rafts, which will serve as both their homes and their source of income as they float down the mighty Yukon selling timber and supplies to locals in remote villages downriver. With winter fast approaching, and money to be made, the adventure begins.
2 Collision Course
7/27/15
Alaskan adventurer Scotty Lamkin and his crew stop in the tiny village of Rampart, desperate to find a boat and motor to help steer their raft. Rookies Andrew and Josh get trapped on a sandbar, while Yukon veteran Neil challenges his 18-year-old son Lauro to step up and lead the crew. Downriver, all three crews navigate a dangerous stretch of rapids.
3 Braving the Boneyard
8/3/15
After more than a week on the river, all three crews are on the hunt for some much-needed protein. Neil and Lauro head out to hunt game in the forest, Scotty takes aim at a spruce grouse along the riverbank, and Andrew and Josh try their hand at fishing. Later on, the rookies are the first to cash in by selling firewood in the village of Tanana, and Neil leads his crew through a dangerous stretch of river known as The Boneyard.
4 Into the Darkness
8/10/15
After three weeks on the river, the crews begin to prepare for the inevitable winter freeze. Neil’s team works on their survival skills, Scotty and his crew fortify and insulate their raft, and Andrew and Josh stumble upon a local hot springs to rest up for the coming challenges ahead. Josh and Andy take a chance, and raft on through the night. The risky move pays off, leaving Scotty with no choice but to sell his wood at half price.
5 Man Down
8/17/15
Weeks on the river are taking their toll on the crews, but as they approach the village of Galena, every rafter has their sights set on cashing in. But the rapidly approaching winter freeze forces them to reconsider their plans to continue downriver. Rafters could reach the end of the line sooner than anyone expected. And in the dead of night, an emergency strikes, forcing one crewmember off the river.
6 Merciless Miles
8/24/15
Three hundred miles downriver, on the banks of Galena, the three crews turn their attention to their season-ending goals. Neil’s team works to sell off their raft and supplies, hoping to cash in big. Scotty turns down an offer that doesn’t meet his goal, and Josh finds himself facing the prospect of continuing downriver without a partner. Lance decides to team up with Josh and take on the rapidly freezing Yukon.
7 Into the Freeze
8/31/15
Six weeks into their journey, the remaining two rafts struggle to navigate the perilous Yukon River. With whipping winds and massive waves threatening to sink their rafts, both crews must pull over and regroup before attempting to reach the village of Koyukuk. Neil and Lauro set out on the journey to their winter cabin in the wilderness.
8 Make or Break
9/7/15
In the wilderness outside the village of Galena, Neil and Lauro take their dog-sled team deep into the forest, trying to reach their winter cabin. But surviving in the snow-covered wild will take all of their skill and courage. Back on the Yukon, the other two crews reach the end of the line, and must do whatever it takes to sell their rafts and get off the river before the full force of winter destroys any chance for profit.

About this show

Long before railroads and big rigs crisscrossed the Alaskan tundra, fur trappers and loggers traversed Alaska’s treacherous rivers and coastline using massive log rafts. Today that way of life is almost extinct. But, along a remote stretch of the Yukon River, there are a few folks who continue this dangerous practice. They’re holding tightly to the traditions of generations past, even if those traditions could very easily cost them their lives.

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4.7
15 reviews

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