# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > General Homesteading >  Getting set up on Yukon River

## Alaskan Survivalist

I’ve been gone a little over a week helping my sister establish beach head on her 216 acre land on the Yukon River. This is one of my back up bug out locations. It’s about as remote as you can get, 100 miles downstream from where the haul road bridge crosses the Yukon River.

This is the first glimpse of Yukon after 450 mile road trip.

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River is miles across in places.

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The first thing was to make a trail from the beach about 200 feet up the bank to carry things.

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Wife dug pit down to permafrost to keep food cold. We made a trip to near by creek with ice and filled a couple of buckets and put it in pit also but really unnecessary because ice stayed solid all week. It was nice to have ice in cold drinks.

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Daughter damned up stream and put in hose to fill water jugs.

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We cleared land and used weed wacker to establish camp site. My wife and I stayed in this wall tent.

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My daughters tent across from mine.

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Camp Kitchen under tarp and my sister and brother in law stayed in the other wall tent.

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I mainly went to set up sawmill and logging. I cut what was needed to make rails with chainsaw. Cleared trees in area.

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Began cutting logging trails.

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Chainsaw powered rope winch pulled logs down the trial.

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Brother in law built out house from rough cut lumber.

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Posts were set for 24x16 shelter cabin.

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Sister and daughter peeled logs for posts.

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I cut to 10x10 beams 24 feet long to span posts.

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Holes were dug with big auger.

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Tool shed was framed.

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We cleared lots of trees and more will be cleared for a good view of river.

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44 was never strapped far away.

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## coyote hunter

You are my hero !!!

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## Sourdough

WOW, Great Post, and I was even allowed to give you some Rep Points, well done.

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## grizz

I would love to help someone build something like that after i retire. You know it's alot of work but everyday you see progress and get that satisfaction of knowing you built it with your own two hands. I've worked all the construction trades over the years, but their boxes. no heart or soul. Keep send the pics, for those of us trapped in the lower 48.

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## Alaskan Survivalist

Thanks, it seems to have been a busy week for every body, I have a lot of reading to catch up.

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## crashdive123

OUTSTANDING!!!!!!  Thanks for the journey through the pictures.

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## cowgirlup

WOW,  What a great place and it will be awesome when it's all done!!!

Thanks for all the pictures!!! :Smile:

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## DOGMAN

Awesome pics and project. Is this considered the Yukon River delta area?

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## BENESSE

Thanks AS, I enjoyed reading your post every step of the way.
I am more impressed than if you told me you went to the moon and back.

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## Justin Case

Awesome !  Thanks !

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## randyt

interesting post, lots of cool happenings.

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## Rick

Outstanding, AS. Thank's for a peak at your camp. 

(There must be something about outhouse doors that Alaskans fear.)

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## hunter63

As thanks for a great post.
Will be waiting on more pic as well.

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## Alaskan Survivalist

> Awesome pics and project. Is this considered the Yukon River delta area?


It is about halfway between Rampart and Tanana on the Yukon and about 35 miles from each. Most people have more houses on thier block than comprize Rampart and Tanana is bigger and my sister has a house there but still just a Native village. Half a dozen boats traveled the river past property in the week we spent there. There is nothing there.

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## Alaskan Survivalist

> Outstanding, AS. Thank's for a peak at your camp. 
> 
> (There must be something about outhouse doors that Alaskans fear.)


There is little need for more privacy. I'm a big fan of indoor plumbing myself and if I ever build here will have all the trappings including door. It is doubtful I will ever live this far north though, I'm more of a coastal Alaskan.

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Absolutely the most impressive post ever! Love the family teamwork!

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## Pal334

Excellent!!!  When you have a chance, can you elaborate a bit on that chain saw operated winch. It is something I would never have thought of. How you made it, capacity and type of rope?  Thanks for sharing

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## Rick

Pal might need to use one to pull an ATV off of him. If you could print the rules in "city slicker" language that would help. That's probably who'll have to run it. 

Oh, look at the time. Gotta run!

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## oldtrap59

AS another great post. You really know how to live my friend.

oldtrap

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## DOGMAN

> Excellent!!!  When you have a chance, can you elaborate a bit on that chain saw operated winch. It is something I would never have thought of. How you made it, capacity and type of rope?  Thanks for sharing



Here in my neck of the woods people make their own chainsaw powered rope-tow systems to create their own ski-lifts in mountain ranges that don't have ski-areas!

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## Mertell

The chainsaw-powered tools are interesting.
I have seen the winch sold commercially, but it was expensive.
(In the $800-$900 range)  Chainsaw powerhead not included.

Thanks for sharing.  

-Mert

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## Pal334

> Pal might need to use one to pull an ATV off of him. If you could print the rules in "city slicker" language that would help. That's probably who'll have to run it. 
> 
> Oh, look at the time. Gotta run!


Actually I was hoping for a picture tutorial in case I had to rely on rescue from my Indiana brethern  :Smile: .

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## Pal334

Dogman and Mertell, thanks for that headsup. I did not know such a thing was available commercialy. I will do some searching. I would think it is a very useful thing to have.

PS: did a bit of googling, so for those who like me were unaware, here is an example.

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdet...utm_medium=cse

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## Sourdough

Baileys is where I buy most of my logging equipment, was a sad day when they had to drop the Husky product line.

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## Dennis

Awesome. I've always dreamed of going to that area.

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## Sourdough

AS, is that allotment land.....? 216 acres is a abnormal acreage. Did she select the site.....? Does she own it or is it Native Corporation Land, you called it fish camp is why I ask ???

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## Justin Case

This is a GREAT thread !  very interesting,  Gonna give it 5 stars !

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## Pal334

AS, thanks, shall chalk that one up to a lesson learned and a possible on the equipment list. Anything that will help in the manual labor arena is always worth considering

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## Rick

How many fish is she allowed to take on a fishwheel? I saw those things operate and it's really amazing how efficient they are.

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## crashdive123

More great pictures.  Thanks.  I had never seen a fish wheel.  I've heard of em, just never saw one.

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## woodsman86

Absolutely awesome place! Thank you for the pictures.

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## Rick

The bottom face of the basket on the left and the top face of the basket on the right are open to form a scoop. As the basket rotates they scoop fish out of the water. 

If you look real close at the pics you can see sort of a shelf toward the center in each of the baskets. They are set on an angle. Then, if you look at the basket on the right you can see the basket is open where the shelf sits. The left one is open as well it's just harder to see. 

As the fish is scooped up it slides down the bottom of the basket as the basket rotates up. The fish slides until it hits the shelf and since it's on an angle the fish slides right out the opening. The ones I've seen had a basket to catch the fish. I've also seen some demo units set up that had the baskets removed so the fish just flop back into the river. 

The upper support structure is also a paddle. If you look closely you can see the bottom one is in the water. The flow of the river pushes the paddle which rotates the baskets. Then the basket is in the water being pushed by the current and so on making the whole rig rotate. 

AS - I don't see a catch basket on that one. Has the basket been removed because of season or owner just not around to harvest? It might be there I just don't see it. 

Again, really good pics into AK lifestyle. Thanks!!

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## Rick

Thank you, sir. I was going strictly by memory on the description. Correct anything I might have messed up but that's how I remember them. Most of the ones I saw had the basket on the bank side. A couple had a chute down to the basket just to make retrieving the fish easier.

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## Asger

That was quite an amazing read, thank you. I hope this project goes with no problems, and i can't wait for more pictures.  :Smile:

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## Aurelius95

In those pics where you used the auger, how deep do you have to go?  In NY, where I grew up, it was 4'.  In GA, where I live now, it's about 18" - 2'.

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## oldtrap59

Thankyou AS for the pics. When I got out of the service a 100 years ago(just seems like that long) I wanted very much to move to Alaska to live. Your pics always make me wish I had done that.

oldtrap

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## rebel

Great post AS.

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## coyote hunter

So if I wanted there are still opportunities for do it yourself moose hunts on the last frontier ?

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## coyote hunter

How do they do it ? Pay a pilot to drop them off in the area they want to hunt ?

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## coyote hunter

Yes, Wyoming it is illegal to hunt in a wilderness area without a guide if you are a non-resident.

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## crashdive123

You need a guide to hunt non-residents?

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## Rick

I thought that was only law in Arizona.

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## crashdive123

> I thought that was only law in Arizona.


With some of the histrionics from some reporters, I thought it was open season.

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## Sourdough

> You need a guide to hunt non-residents?



You can harvest two per day, but no more than 4 in possession (Unless processed and in the freezer)

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## crashdive123

So that's what those trips to Los Anchorage are really for.....to fill your quotas and get more freezers.

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## Palmetta Jarhead

That is incredible, I am really jealous....

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## klickitat

Great thread! It has been my life long dream to move up on the Yukon. Two years left for school and then I plan on making the move finally. 

Please keep this thread alive with updates.

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## Siskiyoumom

Thanks for posting about your new camp.
I was blessed to work at a salmon camp on the Yukon river in 83.
It is such a majestic river.
Make sure your camp is well above "break up".
You may wish to ask locals or see in the vegetation the line of damage from the last season's ice break up.
My friends had their cabin on a high bank and set back from the river's edge.
Their large smoke house consisted of poles which were sunk deep into the river bank and metal roofing which they would pull off at the end of the season and haul up the past the cabin.
The eldest son would stay all winter and run his dog team.
They did have a stout log cabin that had been there for many decades.
They would get a twice a year barge delivery of supplies.
Carrying your weapon of choice is very, very prudent.

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## Rick

He's a born and bred local.

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## crashdive123

Looking forward to the progress when you visit next summer.

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## maineman

AS ... great account and pictures.  It's where I'd like to be and what I'd like to do.  Can you relate how it is your sister was able to come by 216 acre parcel?  That's an awfully nice chunk of real estate, and I'm curious different ways in which land can be acquired up there.  Thanks.

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## Alaskan Survivalist

> AS ... great account and pictures.  It's where I'd like to be and what I'd like to do.  Can you relate how it is your sister was able to come by 216 acre parcel?  That's an awfully nice chunk of real estate, and I'm curious different ways in which land can be acquired up there.  Thanks.


I helps if you live in an area and know people and have a lifetime to wait for just the right deal to come along. Here is the most common source for remote land other than regular listings. It is how the state offers land. http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/landsale/

BTW Alaska loves vets and give a 25 percent discount to veterans.

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## Dropy

Ok, now i know who to go to once i move to Alaska to help me clear and build =)

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