Alaska Challenge

A Journey Through Uncharted Wilderness Leading to a New Life in a New Land

By: Ruth Albee, Bill Albee, Lyman Anson

Narrated by: Lyle Blaker

Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Having grown disillusioned with the miserable existence that is expected of young college students, the newlyweds Bill and Ruth Albee dream of heading to Alaska, on foot, by way of a vast blank space on the map that is modern day Western British Columbia.

Like most most dreams, it dug into their body, mind, and soul until nothing could satisfy it until they had given it a try. So, in 1930, they started off, ignoring all warnings and leaving from Vancouver on foot up through western B.C., following a route very few White men and absolutely no White women had been on, into the Yukon and then on to Alaska down the mighty Yukon River. A journey of many thousands of miles.

Enroute are the perils of bureaucratic red tape, starvation, wolves, the disappearing Rudy, dangerous rivers, a worthless map, crazy frontiersmen, a Russian woman and her stuffed dog, friendly and unfriendly natives, and an unplanned pregnancy.

Upon reaching their goal of Alaska and wondering where to go from there, Bill and Ruth accept a remote school teaching assignment in an Inuit village off of the Cape Prince of Wales on the Bering Sea. This is where they will make their home for the next year teaching and learning from the Eskimo children and parents alike. The journey to become an accepted member of the village is fraught with trying and often hilarious episodes.And the experiences worth every difficulty. For Bill and Ruth discovered something far greater than the adventure. Greater than the experience of it all. Something crazy, wild, wonderful and truly unexpected....

©2020 Old West Books (P)2022 Mark Kopman

Epic story

Well presented. An amazing story of how city people adapted to primitive living. An epic tale.

Great Wilderness Story!

An entertaining tale of a young couples back country adventures that is an easy listen and lets the listener in on the cultural realities of a remote wilderness region. Definitely recommend this one!

Bit slow to start but so interesting

This was a great story. Wish I knew if they ever returned or not! Thanks

Highly recommended true adventure of north.

An exceptionally written, compelling read of a adventurous journey across a vast wilderness. A great story that is not soon forgotten. Bill and Ruth used great ingenuity and perseverance to push through and succeed on their quest.

This book also contains many great descriptions of the colorful frontier characters they met along the way. Like their journey, this book is an excellent study in sociology of the wilderness peoples of the 1930s.

Lyle Blaker does a great job with the narration and his performance is easy to follow and a joy to listen to.

enjoyable.

enjoyable adventure story. well written. The only criticism I would like a little better physical description of the characters.

An Epic Adventure in the North

Some true stories are more engaging than fiction this is one of those. A trip through uncharted territory defying all odds, to building a boat and Floating the Yukon, eventually walrus hunting and living with the Eskimo’s on the bearing strait. Very well performed

Wonder Full

If only more people could respond to nature and their fellow humans,,,What a world this could BE.

Awesome Story!

I enjoyed this book very much. it is a excellent story and the narrator is top notch.

What A Great Story

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written, lovely tale of adventures and a life, enthusiastically lived. Highly recommend.

Listened on our way to Alaska

Delightful, real storytelling. We thoroughly enjoyed this book full of interesting details and colorful, cultural insights.