YUKON RIVER—Pulling up to camp is like pulling up to home and family, even when no one is there. The buildings, nestled by towering cottonwood and black spruce trees, contain stories within them. The trees encircling the camp are like family members providing protection, comfort and solid presence. Rooted. Established. Strong.
The ground and the water around these buildings supported generations of life and their stories continue today. Salmon has been taken from the muddy waters of the Yukon River and cut, dried and smoked. Cut, dried and smoked. Cut, dried and smoked. This place, for Ben Stevens and his family, has provided. Fish is food. And the byproduct of connection to family and the earth is a benefit highly valued in the chase for food. It’s this connection that has Ben returning, year after year, with his own children.