Ep 1. End of the Road

Life Below Zero season 1 episode 1, entitled "End of the Road," sets the stage for a grueling in-depth look into the lives of six brave individuals who have made the decision to forgo the luxuries of modern society and live off the grid in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. The show follows the daily activities of these real-life survivalists as they hunt, fish, gather food, and build shelters in order to survive.

The episode starts with a stunning aerial shot of Alaska's remote landscape, as a small plane flies over icy rivers and mountains. We are then introduced to the first of our cast of survivors: Sue Aikens, a tough-talking woman who lives in the Kavik River Camp, a remote outpost 197 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Sue runs the camp by herself, and we see her fixing a leaky roof and battling the sub-zero temperatures of the Arctic winter.

Next, we meet the Hailstone family, made up of husband and wife team Chip and Agnes, and their five children, who live off the land in Noorvik, a small Inupiaq Eskimo village on the Kobuk River. The family's way of life is heavily dependent on hunting and trapping, and we watch as they catch fish and set traps for muskrats and beavers.

The third group we meet in this episode is the Wright family, who live on a homestead in the Alaskan wilderness, 65 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Erik, Martha, and their two children run a self-sufficient farm, growing their own vegetables and raising chickens and cows for meat and dairy. We watch as they make cheese and butter, chop wood, and prepare for the long winter months ahead.

Finally, we are introduced to Andy Basich, a former construction worker who now lives in the remote Yukon River Valley with his wife Kate and their six sled dogs. Andy is a skilled hunter and trapper, and we see him catch a beaver and prepare it for cooking. We also get a glimpse into his training regimen for the Yukon Quest, a grueling 1,000-mile sled dog race across Alaska and Canada.

Throughout the episode, we see both the beauty and brutality of life in the Alaskan wilderness. The scenery is breathtaking, with vast expanses of snow and ice, towering mountains, and pristine forests. But the cold, harsh reality of survival is never far away. The people we meet must constantly battle the elements - from blizzards to sub-zero temperatures to dangerous wildlife like wolves and grizzly bears. They face daily challenges like finding food, staying warm, and staying safe in a world that is often unforgiving.

Overall, "End of the Road" is a compelling introduction to the world of Life Below Zero. It offers a glimpse into the lives of people who have chosen to live off the grid in one of the most challenging environments on the planet. With stunning visuals and captivating storytelling, the episode sets the stage for an unforgettable journey into the world of survivalism.