Port Protection Alaska

Resourcefulness is key to survival in Port Protection and for 56-year resident Sam that means making the most of what he’s got. He sets out to extend the wear of his boots using mink oil — but first he must find and trap the minks. Gary heads to the shore to forage for sustenance, but extreme tides come only twice a month, so he must act quickly in order to find his dinner. Meanwhile, couple Hans and Timbi are determined to turn their property into a working farm, but recent injuries create a setback and they must rely on others in the community for help.

Spring has come to Port Protection and with it a host of chores and opportunities. Mary Miller takes advantage of bear season and heads into the nearby woods to hunt her first black bear. Gary Muehlberger sets out to trap a beaver in the hopes of teaching Port Protection’s newest resident, Amanda Makar, how to skin and treat it for its fur. And Hans and Timbi Porter overcome their recent surgeries and hike up a nearby mountain for firewood to an astonishing patch of land known as “the blow down.”

Timothy “Curly” Leech and Amanda Makar set out to catch halibut with some borrowed equipment. Gary Muehlberger decides to test his mettle — and age — by returning to some old hunting grounds to catch a “hooter” and see if he’s still “got it.” Resident inventor and all-around DIY’er Sam Carlson tries to cobble together a vertical access wind turbine out of junk and scrap metal from an old shipyard. And Hans Porter sets out to test the pH levels of the town’s water supply, only to discover a dead-standing tree threatening the town’s pipeline.

Spring has arrived and the residents of Port Protection complete essential builds and chores. Hans and Timbi take a giant step in realizing their dream of owning a working farm, by constructing a large duck pen. Sam forges staples, a small but critical tool, before heading out on his skiff to harvest firewood from the beaches surrounding Port Protection. Across the island, Mary reaches a remote mountain lake in order to catch freshwater trout, but a late spring squall has put the trip in jeopardy. Using milled wood from local trees, Curly attempts to breathe new life into his old truck by building a new flatbed, one that will provide the community with more firewood during the long, cold winter ahead.

Gary makes a supply run to Wrangell, Alaska, and is asked by Hans and Timbi to bring back some very precious cargo — ducks — that the whole community is counting on. Meanwhile, Hans and Timbi call on their neighbors, Mary and Amanda, to help them finish the duck barn in time for the Gary’s return. Curly, needing meat for the summer, sets out on a solo bear hunt. Sam and his friend Stuart try to solve the mystery of the town’s water shortage.